DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


FRIENDS  OF 
DUKE  UNIVERSITY 
LIBRARY 

Winston  Broadfoot 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/fromfifteentotwe01will 


From  Fifteen  to  Twenty-Five. 

ii 

A BOOK  FOR  YOUNG  MEN. 


BY 


J.  F.  WILLING, 

Author  of  “Diamond  Dust,”  “ The  Only  Way  Out,"  &c.,  £o. 


Quit  you  like  men,  be  stronu.  — Paul. 


BOSTON: 

McDonald  & gill, 

Office  of  the  Christian  Witness, 
36  Beomfield  Street. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1885, 
By  MCDONALD  & GILL, 

Is  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


no 

W7S3P 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I. 

Boy  ajs^d  Mak  - 5 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Pilot  m Commajstd  - - - - ?8 

CHAPTER  III. 

In  School  - --  --  --  - 39 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Out-  of  School  - --  --  --  63 

CHAPTER  V. 

Tour  Own  Way  to  Mare  - - . - 80 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Rich  - 99 


3 


4 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  VII. 

In  Business  - - - - . 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Out  of  Business  . - - 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Muscle  - - - - - 

CHAPTER  X. 

In  the  Country  . - - 

CHAPTER  XL 

In  the  City  - - - - 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Under  Discipline  - - - 

CHAPTER  XIII. 


PAGE 

111 


131 


140 


158 


172 


191 


At  Tour  Best 


202 


Feom  Fifteen  to  Twenty-Five. 


Wheee  the  St.  Lawrence  slips  out  of  the 
arms  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  starts  oif  by 
itself  to  find  the  sea,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  just 
where  the  lake  ends  and  the  river  begins; 
the  narrowing  is  so  gradual,  and  the  stream 
rolls  forth  so  grandly. 

Very  beautiful  is  the  brave  young  river,  I 
playing  about  through  its  inland  archipelago, 
rippling  around  the  feet  of  lichen-tinted 
rocks,  reflecting  the  pretty  pictures  of  its 
clumps  of  greenery,  and,  in  the  still  night 
time,  its  surface  sparkling  with  the  brilliants  j 
of  the 


CHAPTER  I 


BOY  AND  ItlAN. 


6 


6 FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

When  one  is  watching  a young  life,  it  is 
not  easy  to  tell  just  where  the  gayety  and 
freshness  of  boyhood  give  place  to  the  man’s 
strength  and  purpose.  The  boy  slips  away 
from  the  home  shelter  and  is  out  seeking  his 
fortune,  making  his  way,  an  independent, 
responsible  being,  long  before  they  who 
guarded  his  childhood  are  ready  or  willing 
to  acknowledge  his  right  to  direct  himself. 
We  are  children  to  our  home  people,  as  long 
as  they  can  keep  their  hold  upon  us,  even  if 
our  heads  are  gray. 

One  is  blind  indeed  (who  does  not  admire 
the  courage  and  hopefulness,  the  breezy, 
though  sometimes  bothering  jollity,  the 
boundless  ambition,  the  dauntless  faith  for 
the  future  that  makes  a boy’s  life  exuberant 
and  fresh,  free  and  glorious.^ 

What  fine,  smooth  sailing,  one  finds  upon  the 
St.  Lawrence ! Have  you  ever  taken  the 
tour  of  the  islands  on  a bright  summer  day  ? 
The  Island  Wanderer  thrids  her  way  in  and 
out,  hither  and  thither,  at  her  own  sweet 


BOY  AND  MAN. 


7 


will,  now  making  good  headway  over  a plain 
sweep  of  river,  as  if  she  really  had  business 
on  hand,  then  idling  about  through  the 
narrowest,  shady  lanes,  as  if  her  one  object 
was  to  make  her  gay  tourists  forget  the  busy, 
outside  world,  and  live  forever  like  some 
wild,  aquatic  birds,  gliding  here  and  there 
through  lovely  solitudes. 

When  she  brings  you  back  toward  your 
hotel,  she  is  saluted  by  the  leisurely  people 
sitting  on  their  cottage  verandahs,  or  out 
under  their  shade  trees,  and  she  whistles 
back  her  “ How  do  you  do  ? ” in  a free,  neigh- 
borly way.  Canoe  loads  of  merry  girls  make 
the  waters  gay  with  their  glee,  while  the 
waves  of  her  wake  toss  their  little  boats 
about  like  a mimic  tempest. 

This,  also,  is  like  a boy’s  life.  All  seems 
“ merry  as  a marriage  bell,”  and  yet  — there 
are  dangers  lurking  about,  even  in  the 
smooth, gala-day  sailing  of  the  early  years. 

We  saw  a wreck,  its  bones  bleaching  on 
the  head  of  an  island.  “ That  fellow  under- 


8 FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

took  to  run  without  a pilot,”  said  our 
captain.  “He  thought  he  knew  the  river 
well  enough  himself ; and  he’d  save  expense ; 
but  he  paid  pretty  dear  for  the  whistle. 
A current  caught  his  sloop,  and  whirled 
her  through  that  channel,  and  on  to  the 
rocks,  before  he  knew  what  he  was  about  — 
and  there  he  had  to  leave  her.  Guess  he’ll 
find  it  cheaper  to  pay  a pilot,  if  he  ever 
undertakes  to  run  on  tliis  river  again.” 

There  are  dangers  that  lie  in  wait  for 
young  men  all  along  the  way  ; but  some  that 
they  have  to  encounter  belong  specially  to 
the  time  when  they  are  just  gliding  out  of 
the  home  shelter  into  manhood.  It  may  not 
be  amiss  for  me  to  speak  of  them. 

One  about  which  much  ado  has  been  made, 
and  at  the  door  of  which  many  false  accusa- 
tions have  been  laid,  is  the  over-strictness  of 
parents  and  guardians.  Now  and  then  one 
grows  up  knarled,  and  twisted  in  the  grain, 
from  the  ropes  that  held  him  from  natural 
growth  in  childhood ; soured  and  sickly  for 


BOY  AND  IMAN. 


9 


lack  of  STinsliine ; secretive  and  tricky  from 
small  exactions  and  tyrannies,  or  with 
abnormal  development  of  some  faculties 
because  others  were  cramped  into  nonentity 
by  somebody’s  superstitions.  Yet  the  great 
risk  is  from  the  lack  of  restraint.  Boys  are 
much  more  unkindly  dealt  with  in  this  regard 
than  are  their  sisters.  They  are  allowed  to 
develop  themselves  in  savagery  by  torment- 
ing smaller  boys,  stoning  birds,  drowning 
cats,  and  any  other  pieces  of  brutality  to 
which  they  can  screw  up  their  courage. 
They  may  gash  and  mutilate  their  moral 
sense  by  all  manner  of  small  villainies,  many 
of  them  carrying  the  scars  to  the  end  of  life.^ 
They  may  have  contact  with  all  coarse,  low, 
braggadocio  people,  whose  bravado  makes 
them  specially  charming  to  the  inchoate 
little  man.  They  may  rush  to  see  and  hear 
anything  and  everything  that  vile  people 
throw  in  the  way,  and  thus  gratifying  a 
prurient  curiosity,  they  become  contamin- 
ated with  taints  that  the  holiest  and 


10  FEOM  FIPTBEN  TO  TWENTY-BITE. 

best  influences  fail  to  sweeten.N  People 
have  queer  notions  about  boys.  They 
either  believe  that  they  are  of  so  angelic  a 
.nature  as  to  be  quite  proof  against  evil 
contact,  or  else  they  think  their  moral  con- 
dition a matter  of  no  consequence.  Boys 
seem  to  be  expected  to  be  just  about  so  hate- 
ful, contrary  and  wicked,  and  there  is  no  use 
trying  to  hold  them  to  purity  or  probity. 

A young  fellow  is  full  of  restless  activities 
that  prompt  him  to  get  out  of  the  beaten 
lines,  just  as  the  friskiness  of  a colt  makes 
its  heels  fly  over  the  traces.  When  he  grows 
rapidly  he  is  quite  apt  to  suffer  desperately 
from  what  the  French  call  mauvaise  Tionte. 
His  body  seems  to  him  to  have  got  the  start  of 
his  soul.  He  is  painfully  conscious  of  hands, 
feet,  and  general  awkwardness.  He  is  often 
treated  most  inconsiderately,  and  he  burns 
*■  with  a sense  of  injustice  and'  of  indignation. 
Many  mature  people  act  as  if  boys  have  no 
rights  that  others  are  bound  to  respect.  They 
crowd  the  poor  fellows  into  the  most  un- 


BOY  AND  MAN. 


11 


comfortable  and  inconvenient  places.  They 
must  give  up  their  seat  to  anybody  and 
everybody,  whether  any  reason  can  be  shown 
for  the  courtesy.  They  must  be  pushed  into 
the  most  conspicuous  and  awkward  places; 
and  then,  when  they  reach  the  “ don’t  care  ” 
point,  and  become  a terror  by  their  loud, 
disagreeable  misdemeanors,  they  have  to  be 
^ put  into  the  pillory  of  a general  fault-finding^ 
and  wholesale  reprimand.  My  soul  has 
blazed  with  indignation  against  the  per- 
petrators of  small  injustices  that  I have  seen 
practiced  upon  the  outraged  sensibilities  of 
bashful,  young  fellows,  who,  I knew,  were 
quivering  in  every  nerve,  and  who  would 
avenge  themselves  upon  their  tormentors  by 
becoming  coarse,  and  tough,  and  hard,  just 
when  they  ought  to  be  gentle,  and  sweet, 
and  pure  as  the  Lord’s  white  saints. 

I have  a friend,  — yes,  I have  her  yet, 
though  she  has  passed  into  the  city  that  lieth 
four-square.  Her  class  of  sixty  young  men 
shared  with  her  own  son  the  love  of  her 


12  FBOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

large,  motherly  heart.  i Most  of  them  were 
strangers  in  the  great  city,  and  she  knew  how 
to  take  hold  upon  each  with  the  warm,  mag- 
netic hand  of  a true  friend,  and  steady  him 
by  the  dangers  that  beset  his  path.  The  last 
time  she  called  upon  me,  she  turned  after 
she  had  said  “ Good-bye,”  and  added,  all  her 
heart  in  the  earnest  words,  “ Do  n’t  forget 
my  boys.  Pray  for  them,  please.  I must  see 
every  one  of  them  converted,  and  at  work 
for  Christ.”  While  she  was  ill  her  “ boys  ” 
sent  her  rare  flowers  every  day,  to  let  her 
know  how  much  they  cared  for  her  interest 
in  them;  and  when  she  went  away,  they 
brought  the  loveliest  floral  tribute  for  her 
casket.  They  knew  that  in  all  the  city  full, 
there  beat  not  a warmer,  truer  heart  for 
them  in  their  need  of  a friend. 

Hers  was  a grand  work,  touching  with 
moulding  hand  the  lives  of  sixty  young  men ; 
yet  I can  but  hope  while  I seat  myself  to  say 
a few  things  to  those  who  are  passing  through 
the  difficult  years  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five. 


BOY  AND  MAN. 


13 


out  of  their  turbulent,  mischievous  boyhood 
into  established,  reliable  manliness,  that  I 
may  have  a yet  larger  class.  At  least  twenty 
thousand  ought  to  read  what  is  given  me  for 
them.  Tliey  come  around  my  desk  while  I 
write.  I look  into  their  eyes,  — brown  and 
grey,  deep  black  and  laughing  blue, — and  I 
say  with  Tiny  Tim  in  the  Christmas  Carol, 
“ God  bless  us  all,  every  one.” 

^ The  Breton  sailor  says  in  his  prayer,  “ O 
Lord,  the  sea  is  wide,  and  my  boat  is  very 
small.”  My  twenty  thousand  have  before 
them  a difficult  and  dangerous  voyage.  The 
first  thing,  I would,  if  possible,  induce  each 
to  take  on  board  the  one  only  safe  Pilot.  He 
knows  every  rood  of  the  way.  Himself  a 
young  man.  He  has  passed  through  every 
phase  of  the  strange,  mysterious  life  you  are 
living.  Being  in  all  points  tempted  as  you 
are.  He  knows  how  to  rescue  the  tempted. 
Give  Him  your  heart’s  love  and  confidence. 
Let  Him  be  to  you  an  Elder  Brother,  walk- 
ing hourly  by  your  side,  helping  you  when 
you  most  need  a friend. 


14  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

Some  of  you  have  never  known  Him. 
You  have  yet  to  see  Him  for  the  first  time, 
and  hear  from  His  lips  the  blessed  word  of 
recognition  and  fellowship.  Let  me  entreat 
you,  ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  show  you  how 
to  come  at  once  to  our  Lord.  Ask  Him  to 
forgive  you  for  staying  away  so  long.  Trust 
Him  to  take  you  when  you  stumble  out 
through  the  dark,  and  throw  yourself  down 
before  Him.  He  said,  “Him  that  cometh 
unto  me  I will  in  no  wise  cast  out.”  He  did 
not  say  “Him  that  cometh  with  sufficient 
earnestness  and  love  and  faith,”  “ Him  that 
humbleth  himself  to  do  this,  or  that,  or  the 
other  duty.”  No : “ Him  that  cometh  unto 
kle.”  Jesus  Christ  is  a living,  loving,  mighty 
Saviour.  He  wants  you.  Offer  yourself  to 
Him,  just  as  you  are.  He  will  be  glad  to 
take  you.  It  is  His  work  to  make  you  what 
He  wants  you  to  he.  Believe  that  He  does, 
and  according  to  your  faith  it  wiU  he  done 
unto  you. 

If  an  angel  brought  you  a contract  written 


BOY  AND  MAN. 


15 


out  in  due  form,  in  whicli  you,  on  your  part, 
promise  to  give  the  direction  of  your  life  to 
God,  doing  what  He  wants  you  to  do  the  best 
you  know  how,  and  He,  on  His  part,  pledg- 
ing to  supply  all  the  grace,  the  disposition, 
the  strength,  happiness  here  and  heaven  for- 
ever, would  you  not  sign  it?  Just  such  a 
contract  God  passes  down  to  you.  ^It  is  al- 
ready signed  by  One  whose  signature  was 
traced  in  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  cov- 
enant. It  is  sealed  by  Him  who  cannot  lie, 
and  the  legend  on  one  side  of  His  seal  is, 
“ The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  His,”  and  on 
the  other,  “ Let  every  one  that  nameth  the 
name  of  Christ  depart  from  iniquity.”  ) Give 
up  your  sins  and  trust  the  Lord  to  “ know  ” 
you  are  His,  and  you  will  find  very  soon  that 
Jesus  will  be  all  the  world  to  you. 

Some  of  my  class  of  twenty  thousand  have 
gone  away  from  the  Lord,  and  it  seems  ten 
times  harder  to  go  back  to  Him  than  it  was  to 
go  at  first.  No  matter  how  hard  it  is,  you 
are  going  to  do  it,  because  it  is  right.  That 


16  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTF-FIVE. 

determination  is  the  key  to  success  in  every 
good  endeavor.  You  must  begin  with  this 
most  important  adjustment  of  your  life, 
bringing  it  into  line  with  the  will  of  God. 
Do  not  wait  to  read  another  line  till  you  lift 
your  heart  to  Him  who  stands  beside  you, 
confess  your  sins,  and  trust  Him  to  take 
you  back  into  favor.  If  you  had  gone  away 
from  your  mother,  nearly  breaking  her  heart 
with  your  waywardness,  you  would  have 
only  to  let  her  know  that  you  were  sorry 
and  wanted  to  come  back,  and  instantly 
her  heart  would  bound  toward  you,  in 
joy  that  you  were  willing  to  love  and 
trust  her  once  more.  Christ  loves  you  infi- 
nitely better  than  your  mother  possibly  can 
do.  He  has  measureless  joy  to  get  you  back 
to  Himself. 

Some  trust  the  Lord  privately,  but  they 
have  never  taken  a public  stand  for  Him. 
Let  me  entreat  you  to  consider  how  you  rob 
others  of  the  help  toward  God  that  you 
ought  to  give  them.  They  think  it  is  your 


BOY  AND  MAN. 


17 


natural  goodness  that  makes  you  amiable. 
You  would  not  hide  it,  selfishly,  if  you  had 
found  a medicine  that  could  cure  all  diseases. 
You  would  want  to  press  it  upon  the  atten- 
tion of  suffering  people  everywhere.  Christ 
has  cured  you;  now  help  others  come  to 
Him  by  letting  them  know  who  helped  you 
out  of  your  sins.  Others  follow  the  Lord, 
but  it  is  afar  off,  like  poor  Peter  while  his 
Lord  was  in  the  hands  of  His  enemies.  He 
was  ashamed  of  the  cross.  That  is  a misera- 
ble Avay  to  live.  Christ  wants  the  love  of 
your  whole  heart.  God  grant  that  during 
these  hours,  while  we  look  together  into  His 
truth.  He  may  lead  you  into  the  fullness  of 
blessing,  so  that  you  may  love  Him  Avith  aU 
your  heart. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  PILOT  IH  COMMAIID. 

One  pleasant  afternoon  all  were  gathered 
on  our  steamer’s  deck;  and  tiro  ugh  the  sky 
above  us  was  fleckless  in  its  summer  azure, 
and  the  woods  along  the  shore  waved  brightly 
in  their  June  gladness,  yet  every  eye  was  in- 
tent on  the  stream  below,  every  lip  was 
drawn,  and  when  one  had  to  speak  it  was 
with  bated  breath.  We  were  nearing  the 
Rapids.  An  Indian  shot  out  from  the  shore 
in  his  canoe,  and  was  taken  on  board.  A few 
moments  later  we  saw  him  at  the  wheel.  Plis 
muscle  was  as  fine  and  taut  as  that  of  a tiger. 
His  keen  eye  took  in  every  motion  of  the 
turbulent  water.  We  were  all  glad  to  obey 
the  order  on  the  pilot  house,  that  seemed 
now  to  come  to  full  meaning:  “Do  not 
18 


THE  PILOT  m COMIVIAET). 


19 


SPEAK  TO  THE  MAE  AT  THE  'WHEEL  ! ” for 
in  the  fight  with  the  rocks  that  were  just  be- 
fore us,  everytlhng  depended  upon  his  skill 
and  alertness.  He  was  supreme  in  that  ship. 
It  was  his  for  the  hour.  No  one  dared  say 
him  “ Nay.” 

When  a young  man  feels  for  the  first  time 
the  stimulus  of  independent  action ; when  he 
reaches  tlie  rapids  of  his  tumultuous  impulses, 
on  finding  himself  free,  dominant,  regnant, 
he  needs,  as  never  before,  a strong,  sure  hand 
on  the  helm.  The  rocks  all  along  that  part 
of  his  way  are  strewed  with  wrecks.  Where 
so  many  go  down  it  is  wise  to  sail  carefully.  / 
I suppose  more  young  men  fail  in  their  faith, 
and  swerve  from  the  good  and  the  right  way, 
than  any  other  class  of  people ; and  more  be- 
tween eighteen  and  twenty-five,  than  at  any 
other  age.  This,  not  because  there  is  special 
moral  infirmity  or  feebleness  in  men,  or  in 
men  at  that  point  in  life,  but  because  there 
are  special  temptations. 

If  boys  are  imposed  upon  in  an  exasperat- 


20  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

ing  manner,  young  men  are  treated  with  a 
leniency  that  is  quite  as  harmful.  One  ex- 
treme follows  the  other.  They  are  the  pet- 
ted members  of  society ; and  like  all  favor- 
ites, they  are  spoiled  by  indulgence.  Many 
things  are  allowed  them  which  others  would 
not  be  permitted  to  do.  There  are  several 
reasons  for  this,  the  chief,  perhaps,  is  the  fact 
that  with  youthful  courage  and  spirit,  they 
earn  plenty  of  money,  which  they  are  quite 
ready  to  spend.  So  the  people  who  make 
their  living  by  catering  to  the  public  taste, 
usually  consult  the  preferences  of  these,  their 
most  profitable  customers. 

They  are  eager  to  know  a little  of  every- 
thing that  is  going  on,  and  that  curiosity  leads 
them  where  they  not  unfrequently  receive 
more  harm  than  good.  All  these  things  con- 
spire to  stimulate  their  appetite  for  excite- 
ment, which  grows  by  that  it  feeds  upon. 

Young  men  have  often  to  work  hard,  and 
they  claim  the  relaxation  of  amusements 
when  they  are  off  duty,  that  their  strength 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMMAND.  21 

may  be  kept  up,  and  tbeir  brain  rested  for 
tlie  next  day’s  service.  Tbeir  greatest  dan- 
ger lies  along  that  line. 

One  of  the  most  common  recreations,  and 
one  that  tends  as  certainly  to  excess  as  any 
other,  is  the  reading  of  fiction.  It  is  quite 
as  fascinating  as  the  opium  habit,  and,  in- 
deed, the  two  evils  resemble  each  other  de- 
cidedly. It  would  be  foolish  to  insist  that 
one’s  reading  must  be  held  down  to  plain, 
simple,  actual  facts.  He  would  be  as  much 
bothered  to  find  out  what  he  might  read,  and 
what  he  must  shun,  if  he  were  to  attempt  to 
five  by  such  a rule,  as  the  Jews  were  in  their 
hair-splitting  distinctions  about  Sabbath  bur- 
dens, and  similar  inanities.  Since  some  fic- 
tion may  be  read  to  advantage,  you  had  bet- 
ter know  the  symptoms  of  excess,  so  that  you 
can  properly  guard  yourself.  Story  reading 
tends  to  an  abnormal  development  of  your 
fancy  for  the  young  ladies ; it  harps  almost 
entirely  on  that  one  passion ; and  few  young 
men  need  special  stimulus  in  that  line.  They 


22  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

do  not  need  to  go  through  book  after  book  to 
cultivate  their  interest  in  “ the  girls.” 

Novel  reading  tends  to  give  its  votaries 
false  views  of  life.  The  story-people  are  so 
much  nearer  perfection  than  those  with  whom 
we  are  obliged  to  live,  that  we  cannot  help 
feeling  disgusted  with  the  commonplace  ways 
of  the  latter. 

In  inveterate  cases,  the  victim  moves  about 
in  a dream,  as  completely  unhinged  from  ac- 
tual people,  as  the  opium  eater  can  be.  Good, 
solid,  reading  becomes  distasteful ; the  Bible 
quite  a bore.  He  is  never  satisfied  unless  he 
is  straining  every  nerve,  galloping  through 
page  after  page  to  find  out  which  fellow  suc- 
ceeded in  marrying  the  heroine.  When  he 
gets  to  the  end,  and  the  couples  are  perma- 
nently paired  off,  — a state  of  things  that 
speedily  lapses  into  the  commonplace  in  real 
life,  — he  finds  himself  in  a complete  collapse, 
utterl}'-  empty  of  interest  in  anybody  or  any- 
thing, till  another  story  puts  him  under  the 
lash  and  spur  of  excitement.  His  appetite 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMIIAND. 


23 


foT  the  sensational  grows  uncontrolable ; it 
goads  him  ever  onward,  and  he  has  no  rest 
night  nor  day. 

4;^  You  can  see  that  this  mental  opium  eating 
must  ruin  body,  soul  and  spirit,  and,  unless 
it  can  be  held  under  tight  rein,  you  had  bet- 

What  I have  said  of  novel  reading,  holds 
true  of  dancing,  card  playing,  the  skating- 
rink,  the  base-ball  ground,  the  theatre,  the 
opera,  the  use  of  tobacco,  and  alcoholic  in- 
toxicants. They  are  all  wasteful  of  money, 
time,  strength,  and  of  the  actual  character  for 
uprightness  and  sterling  ability.  There  is 
much  to  be  said  about  the  unhealthful  and 
immodest  dressing  of  the  ball-room,  and  the 
promiscuous  hugging  of  round  dances,  but  I 
can  hardly  touch  upon  these  lines,  and  the 
depths  of  impurity  over  which  those  torches 
glare.  The  tendency  to  excess  in  all  of  them 
is  beyond  question.  A young  lady  insisted 
that  there  could  be  no  harm  in  a few  friends 
dancing  in  a parlor.  Of  course  she  would 


ter  take  a pledge  of  total  abstinence. 


24  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

never  think  of  going  to  a public  ball.  “Yes; 
but,  Laura,  if  you  allow  yourself  to  dance  at 
all,  you  can  hardly  hold  the  lines  where  you 
mean  to  keep  them.”  It  was  not  many 
months  before  she  came  in  with  a clouded, 
discontented  face. 

“What  is  the  matter,  Laura?  Has  any- 
thing gone  wrong  with  you  ? ” 

“ Oh,  there  is  going  to  be  the  loveliest  great 
ball  down  town,  and  mother  says  I can’t  go ; 
and  I’m  dreadfully  provoked.” 

“ Yes ; that  is  just  what  I was  sure  it  would 
come  to.  Your  quiet,  harmless,  little  parlor 
dances  did  very  well  for  a while ; but  now 
you  are  determined  to  go  to  the  public  ball? 
Do  you  see  the  natural  tendency  to  excess  in 
all  these  things  ? ” 

When  one  makes  up  his  mind  to  be  a thor- 
ough Christian,  he  will  have  to  let  the  Lord 
guide  him  in  his  amusements,  as  well  as  in 
everything  else.  A young  lady  went  to  a 
minister,  not  her  pastor,  and  asked  his  advice 
in  regard  to  going  to  a “ hop.” 


THE  PILOT  IN  COmiAND.  25 

“ Our  cliurcli  people  are  terribly  straight- 
laced,”  she  said ; “ but  I’m  sure  there  can  be 
no  harm  in  it.” 

He  saw  that  she  had  made  up  her  mind,  so 
he  determined  to  answer  her  according  to  her 
folly. 

“ Why,  certainly,”  he  said,  “ I’d  go ; only 
I’d  ask  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  give  me  His 
blessing.” 

“Indeed,  I’ll  do  no  such  thing!”  she  re- 
plied, before  she  thought.  “ I’ll  not  say  any- 
thing to  Him  about  it.” 

Evidently  she  was  in  the  rapids,  and  she 
had  not  given  the  Pilot  command. 

There  is  sometliing  charming  in  the  grace 
and  rhythmical  movement  of  the  dance ; and 
when  for  the  sake  of  avoiding  the  excess,  the 
wastefulness,  and  the  bad  associations,  one  is 
obliged  to  give  it  up,  the  struggle  is  some- 
times severe.  Tens  of  thousands  decide  for 
the  world,  and  give  up  Christ,  when  this  is 
the  test  of  submission.  They  do  not  make 
it  a direct  issue,  a choice  between  the  salva- 


26  FEOM'riFTEBN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

tion  of  the  soul  and  the  dance.  The  enemy 
is  too  subtle  to  allow  that.  He  puts  the  case 
skilfully:  “You  mean  to  be  good  and  do 

right,  but  these  saints  overdo  the  matter. 
You  can’t  let  them  dictate  to  you.  As  good 
people  as  ever  lived  have  indulged  moderately 
in  all  these  delightful,  refining  amusements, 
and  you’ll  do  well  enough  if  you  are  as  good 
as  they.” 

The  only  safety  is  in  committing  the  mat- 
ter entirely  to  the  Good  Pilot,  choosing  His 
will  and  trusting  for  His  guidance.  If  you 
look  for  wisdom  to  any  but  the  Lord,  you 
will  be  sure  and  go  wrong.  These  principles 
hold  good  'of  the  other  fashionable  amuse- 
ments to  which  I have  referred. 

I glanced  in  at  a skating  rink  the  other 
evening.  It  was  late;  the  skaters  looked 
jaded.  They  had  the  appearance  that  one 
sees  always  in  those  who  are  lashed  by  an 
appetite  for  excitement  to  seek  something  yet 
more  exciting.  When  the  band  began  to 
. play  they  spun  away  again  ; though  a young 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMMAND.  27 

girl  who  had  stopped  a moment  before  within 
earshot,  had  given  an  nnconscions  comment 
on  the  weariness  of  the  affair.  “I’m  tired 
enough  to  drop,”  and  her  face  showed  that 
the  speech  was  within  the  limit  of  probabil- 
ity. Forever  and  forever  the  reckless  use  of 
time  and  strength,  and  all  under  the  plea  of 
resting  from  serious  work ; and  also  the  ten- 
dency to  excess  that  marks  every  amusement 
that  excites  and  gratifies  excitement,  and  be- 
side, the  opportunity  of  free,  general  associa- 
tion that  bad  men  and  women  are  not  slow  to 
take  advantage  of,  to  the  infinite  damage  of 
the  morals  of  the  unwary. 

Base-ball  played  on  the  village  green  by  a 
company  of  “ boys  ” who  have  been  brought 
up  together,  is  one  thing,  and  the  same  game 
in  the  city  park,  where  young  men  rush  to- 
gether by  the  thousand,  many  of  whom  can 
ill  afford  the  afternoon  from  work,  and  the 
admittance  fee,  and  who  cannot  with  safety 
take  the  jostling  and  crowding  among  sport- 
ing men,  who  are  loud,  and  coarse,  and  unscru- 


28  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

pulous ; drinking,  smoking,  swearing,  betting, 
— that  is  quite  another  thing.  Unless  you 
are  sure  you  can  stop  at  the  exact  point  de- 
manded by  economy,  uprightness,  purity,  you 
had  better  let  it  alone  altogether. 

I can  hardly  find  an  excuse  for  the  late 
hours,  excitements,  bad  contact  and  general 
riskiness  of  the  card  table,  the  theatre,  and 
the  opera.  Perhaps  you  can;  but  I have 
seen  so  many  wrecks  on  all  these  lines,that  I 
am  like  the  nobleman  who  was  trying  to  hire 
a coachman,  and  who  questioned  a couple  of 
applicants  in  regard  to  their  skill  in  driving. 
The  first  was  sure  he  could  drive  within  an 
inch  of  a precipice,  and  not  go  over.  “And 
how  near  could  you  go  ? ” the  gentleman  ask- 
ed the  other.  “ Sure,  your  honor,”  was  the 
reply,  “ I ’d  drive  as  fur  from  the  idge  as  iver 
I coidd.” 

There  is  something  in  young  blood  that 
gives  a relish  for  daring,  — a charming  sense  of 
superiority  when  one  can  do  what  others  fail 
in,  even  if  the  tiling  done  is  not,  of  itself, 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMMANB. 


29 


specially  worth  while.  The  crucifixion  of  a 
complete  surrender  to  the  Lord  touches  this 
foolish  ambition.  One  has  to  acknowledge 
his  incapacity  for  self-management,  which  is  a 
bitter  thing  to  do ; and  the  course  in  which 
he  knows  he  will  be  led,  lies  at  right  angles 
with  the  opinions  and  practices  of  the  mass  of 
people  around  him.  They  go  where  they 
please,  and  when  they  are  commended  it  is 
a flattering  unction.  He  goes  where  God 
pleases,  and  if  he  escapes  loss,  and  gains  good, 
it  is  God,  and  not  he,  who  is  thanked. 

If  you  choose  to  give  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
the  command  of  your  craft,  you  may  as  well 
face  the  matter  fairly,  and,  as  He  enjoined, 
count  the  cost. 

When  you  present  to  Him  your  body,  as  a 
living  sacrifice,  you  will  find  that  He  means 
it  to  be  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
you  will  have  to  care  for  it  accordingly.  The 
question  will  come  up,  “ Shall  I smoke  tobac- 
co and  take  a ‘ social  glass  ’ now  and  then,  as 
the  rest  of  the  ‘ boys  ’ do  ? ” You  will  be 


30  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

obliged  to  submit  the  matter  to  Him.  Wbeu 
it  appears,  as  I think  it  will,  if  you  consider 
it  fairly,  that  narcotics  and  intoxicants,  even 
when  used  moderately,  burn  out  the  brain, 
and  ruin  the  nerves,  you  will  have  to  put 
them  aside  with  a resolute  “No;”  though 
you  may  be  hissed  as  a coward,  and  “ poky,” 
“ old  deacon,”  or  what  not. 

Henry  Wilson,  when  he  was  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  said  that  the  hard- 
est thing  he  ever  said  was  uttered  at  the  ta- 
ble of  a senator,  the  first  distinguished  man 
who  ever  paid  him  special  attention.  Wine 
was  offered  him,  and  it  tested  him  to  the  ut- 
most, to  say  to  his  host,  “I  never  drink 
wine.” 

In  glancing  again  over  rocks  that  make 
these  “ rapids  ” so  dangerous,  let  me  recapit- 
idate.  They  are  an  extravagance  that  you 
cannot  afford.  You  need  to  invest  your 
money  in  something  beside  the  frothy  false- 
hoods of  the  theatre  and  opera,  the  excite- 
ments of  the  rink  and  the  base-ball  park. 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMMAND.  31 

tlie  card-table  and  the  ball-room,  beer  fumes 
and  cigar  smoke.  You  need  your  time  for 
other  things.  You  cannot  afford  the  risk  of 
the  associations  that  are  inevitable,  if  you 
frequent  such  places.  You  do  not  want  to 
become  the  man  that  the  majority  of  those 
are  whom  you  meet  at  such  places ; and  you 
know  that  we  become  like  those  with  whom 
we  are  associated.  You  cannot  fail  to  see 
that  they  tend  to  excess. 

But  I have  not  yet  touched  the  main  rea- 
son why  they  should  be  shunned.  Paul  said, 
“ If  meat  make  my  brother  to  offend,  I will 
eat  meat  no  more  while  the  world  stands.” 
He  knew  so  certainly  that  an  idol  was  noth- 
ing in  the  world,  that  it  would  not  have  hurt 
his  morals  to  eat  meat  that  had  been  offered 
to  an  idol;  but  he  knew,  also,  that  there 
might  be  some  weak  brother,  who  would  be, 
s^by  that  example,  led  into  idolatry,  thus  losing 
his  soul,  and  the  blood  of  his  perishing  would 
be  on  Paul’s  skirts^  Giving  one’s  self  for  the 
salvation  of  others  is  the  most  Christly  thing 


32  TEOM  TIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

that  can  be  done.  Our  Lord  gave  Himself 
utterly  for  us ; and  if  any  man  have  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His.  No  man 
liveth  to  himself.  The  primal  murderer  ask- 
ed God  in  the  dastardly  impudence  of  selfish- 
ness, “ Am  I my  brother’s  keeper  ? ” When 
the  brand  touched  him  he  found  out  how 
God  regards  the  bond  by  which  his  human 
children  are  bound  to  each  other.  You  that 
are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the 
weak.  There  are  people  who  have  pleasant, 
cheerful  manners,  sitting  at  your  table,  and 
talking  about  indifferent  things,  yet  from  in- 
herited appetites  and  tendencies,  or  bad  hab- 
its, they  are  in  a fight  with  demons,  desperate 
and  dark,  and  it  will  take  only  the  weight  of 
a finger  to  turn  the  battle  against  them.  I 
have  known  brilliant,  educated  men,  who 
could  not  taste  fermented  wine  at  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord’s  Supper,  nor  inhale  tlie 
odor  of  bay  rum  in  a barber’s  shop,  without 
becoming  wild  with  the  appetite  for  strong 
drink.  The  passion  for  gaming  is  but  little 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMMAND.  33 

less  inveteratevand  for  the  other  “pleasures,” 
as  they  are  called,  people  risk  perdition. 
Noav  when  one  is  in  such  a case  as  that,  daie 
you  add  your  example  to  the  awfully  danger- 
ous preponderance  of  evil?  No!  ten  thou- 
sand times.  No  I Better  that  a mill-stone 
were  hanged  about  your  neck,  and  you 
drowned  in  the  depths  of  the  sea,  rather  than 
you  should  make  one  of  these  little  ones  of- 
fend. If  it  be  a self-denial,  you  must  deny 
yourself,  lest,  as  Paul  said,  the  weak  brother 
perish  for  whom  Christ  died.  As  a follower 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  you  liave  no  right  to  con- 
sult your  own  preference  in  any  of  these 
matters.  You  gave  yourself  to  Him  that  He 
might  save  you  from  your  sins.  You  are  not 
your  own,  you  are  bought  with  a price. 
That,  with  your  voluntary  surrender,  makes 
you  His,  for  Him  to  use,  and  employ  in  His 
service,  as  He  will.  By  so  much  as  you  neg- 
lect to  give  Him  your  whole  heart,  and  the 
complete  obedience  that  He  requires,  you  rob 
Him.  , Think  who  you  are,  — a mere  atom 


34  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

creeping  about  on  tliis  speck  of  His  star- 
dust for  a day  and  who  He  is,  — the  high 
and  holy  One  who  inhabiteth  eternity,  sitting 
on  the  circle  of  the  heavens;  and  then  an- 
swer the  terrible  question,  “ Will  a man  rob 
God  ? ” and  the  fearful  accusation,  “ But  je 
have  robbed  Me.”  Choosing  to  follow  the  Lord 
wholly,  is  the  only  wise  course  to  take.  He 
made  you.  He  only  knoAVs  hoAV  to  bring  you 
to  your  best.  He  can  make  infinitely  more 
of  you  than  you  can  make  of  yourself. 

It  is  safe.  The  adversary  tries  to  make  us 
believe  that  it  is  a fearful  thing  to  serve  the 
Lord  with  the  Avhole  soul.  Under  his  mis- 
representations it  appears  as  though  if  yon 
place  yourself  in  the  Lord’s  hands.  He  Avill 
take  away  what  you  most  piize,  and  leave 
your  life  empty,  hard,  and  bare.  Yet  the 
word  is,  “ As  a father  pitieth  his  children,  so 
the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him.”  “ He 
delighteth  in  the  prosperity  of  His  servants.” 

Is  it  not  strange  that  with  the  thirty  thou- 
sand promises  that  the  Lord  has  given  us. 


THE  PILOT  nr  COMMAND. 


35 


and.  though  He  has  exhausted,  the  language  in 
trjdng  to  make  us  see  how  infinitely  He  loves 
ns,  yet  we  are  slow  of  heart  to  believe  that 
He  does  actually  delight  in  making  us  happy. 
Oh,  the  wicked  perversity  of  unbelief ! 

We  are  surer  to  hold  to  any  enterprise,  if 
we  give  ourselves  to  it  heartily,  than  we  are  if 
we  take  it  up  in  an  indifferent  or  gingerly 
manner.  The  more  earnest  and  hearty  our 
support  of  a cause,  the  less  liable  are  we  to  be 
discouraged  by  the  trials  that  it  may  bring  us. 

A friend  of  mine  was  on  a Mississippi 
steamer  many  years  ago,  when  they  came  to 
a place  known  among  river  men  as  the  grave- 
yard, on  account  of  the  sawyers  that  were  in 
that  part  of  the  stream,  and  that  had  sent 
many  a good  boat  to  the  bottom.  To  my 
friend’s  surprise,  as  the  vessel  came  to  the 
graveyard  all  steam  was  ordered  on.  When 
he  asked  why,  he  was  told  that  the  boat 
must  be  put  under  all  the  power  that  she 
would  bear,  so  that  she  would  obey  the  helm. 
Everytlung  might  depend  upon  her  turning 


36  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

at  a second’s  warning  wlien  tlie  pilot  dis- 
covered a danger. 

Let  the  Great  Pilot  take  the  wheel.  Sur- 
render yourself  up  to  Him  for  service,  and  He 
will  fit  you  up  to  do  His  will.  A young  man 
who  had  recently  been  converted,  went  to  the 
Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  and  asked 
for  something  to  do  for  the  Saviour.  They 
gave  him  some  “ dodgers  ” and  told  him  to 
go  out  upon  the  street  and  invite  people  to 
the  evening  service.  In  a little  while  he 
discovered  that  when  any  one  who  knew  him 
came  along,  his  hand  would  suddenly  go 
behind  him,  and  he  would  seem  to  be  waiting 
for  a street-car.  “Now,  see  here,  sir,”  he 
said  to  himself,  “ this  will  never  do : you’ll 
not  hold  out  a mouth,  unless  you  get  over 
being  ashamed  of  being  seen  at  this  business,” 
and  he  went  at  once  to  the  Saviour,  and  had 
his  heart  cleansed  from  the  fear  of  man,  so 
that  he  was  not  afraid  to  stand  up  for  Jesus 
always  and  everywhere. 

This  victory  is  not  a matter  of  time.  Many 


THE  PILOT  IN  COMMAND.  37 

old  Cliristians  are  as  mnch  fettered  as  they 
were  the  day  of  their  conversion.  It  is  not 
a matter  of  growth,  hlan}'  who  have  grown 
a great  deal  in  knowledge,  and  more  or  less 
in  grace,  since  their  conversion,  are  still  very 
far  from  giving  Christ  the  entire  control  of 
their  lives.  There  are  only  two  things 
necessary  to  this  result ; — submission  and 
trust.  They  can  be  done  as  soon  after  con- 
version as  one  is  able,  through  the  Spirit’s 
help,  to  apprehend  the  need.  They  are  very 
simple  when  one  honestly  seeks  to  do  them. 
You  give  yourself  over  to  the  Lord,  body, 
soul,  and  spirit,  for  time  and  eternity,  that 
you  may  do  His  will,  and  that  alone,  as  far  as 
you  are  able  to  find  out  that  will.  You  ask 
Him  to  cleanse  you  from  all  sin,  so  that  the 
element  of  disobedience  may  be  eliminated 
from  your  soul.  John  said,  “ If  we  confess 
our  sins.  He  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us 
our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  un- 
righteousness.” You  say,  “ Since  I have 
given  myself  to  Him,  I have  given  Him  the 


38  FEOM  riETEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

chance  to  save  me  as  He  wants  me  to  be 
saved.  He  takes  me  on  purpose  to  cleanse 
me,  and  I believe  that  Pie  does  now  make  me 
clean.” 

If  you  submit  and  trust  in  this  manner,  it 
will  not  be  very  long  till  you  will  know 
beyond  question,  that  the  blood  of  Christ 
cleanses  you,  and  that  He  has  supreme  con- 
trol of  your  life. 


CHAPTER  III. 

m SCHOOL. 

I BEMEMBEE,  an  autumn  day  in  Milan, 
when  a note  came  to  the  hotel,  ashing  the 
Americans  to  come  to  the  English  chapel  for 
a memorial  service  in  honor  of  their  dead 
President.  It  was  a most  interesting  occa- 
sion. The  King  of  Italy  was'  represented  by 
the  Prince  of  Leghorn.  The  municipal  au- 
thorities were  also  present.  An  American 
tourist  was  ashed  to  speak  of  our  nation’s 
loss,  which  he  did  in  a manner  never  to  be 
forgotten.  Among  many  beautiful  things 
that  he  said,  was  a reference  to  a picture  that 
was  on  exhibition  in  the  National  Exposition 
of  modern  Italian  art,  then  in  session  in  the 
city.  It  represented  a room,  empty  and  bare, 
a woman  sitting  there  with  little  children 

39 


40  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

clinging  to  her,  and  crying  for  bread,  wliile 
in  one  corner  lay  the  stone-dead  father. 
“ Out  of  such  a home,”  said  the  gentleman, 
“ came  James  A.  Garfield ; and  that  he  could 
come  out  of  such  a home,  and  become  the 
man  he  was,  is  possible  only  in  America.” 

In  Rome,  a few  days  later,  a similar  mes- 
sage brought  the  Americans  together  for  a 
similar  service.  Among  other  beautiful  things, 
the  rector  said  of  Garfield:  “A  canal-boy 
trudging  along  on  the  tow-path  after  his  slow 
team.  A few  years  later  all  the  millions  of 
Christendom  were  listening  at  his  bedroom 
door  for  the  count  of  his  pulse ; and  when  at 
last  his  brave  life  went  down,  all  the  millions 
of  Christendom  followed  his  bier  weeping  as 
mourners.  That  the  canal-boy  should  reach 
such  a place  of  honor  and  trust,  is  possible 
only  in  America.” 

One  great  day  on  Bunker  Hill  the  people 
were  crowding  to  the  front,  endangering  the 
lives  of  those  on  the  platform.  Daniel  Web 
ster  waived  them  back  with  his  kingly  hand. 


IN  SCHOOL.  41 

“We  can’t  stand  back!  *’  cried  a man  in  the 
crowd.  “ It  is  impossible  I ” — “ Impossible  I ” 
exclaimed  Mr.  Webster,  “Nothing  is  impos- 
sible on  Bunker  Hill  I ” 

Nothing  is  impossible  in  this  free,  generous 
America, 

“Heart  within,  and  God  o’erhead.” 

The  young  man  who  wants  to  make  the  most 
of  himself,  for  good  work,  is  guaranteed  full 
scope  and  opportunity.  All  things  right  and 
reasonable,  are  possible  to  him.  If  he  wants 
“ an  education,”  as  we  call  a given  amount  of 
school  drill,  he  will  find  it,  extraordinaries 
excepted,  within  reach  of  his  ability.  It  may 
require  a great  deal  of  self-subjugation  and 
perseverance,  but  it  is  possible. 

Perhaps  you  are  just  now  settling  the  ques- 
tion of  your  attempts  in  that  line  — whether 
or  not  you  will  “ go  through  college.”  You 
enjoy  study.  You  love  books.  You  appre- 
ciate the  advantage  of  being  liberally  edu- 
cated ; but  the  four  or  five  years  necessary  to 


42  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

sucli  an  undertaking,  are  packed  with  self 
denials  ; and  tkey  seem  a long  time  to  spend 
in  preparation  for  active  life. 

Your  parents  are  unable  to  kelp  you,  and 
you  will  have  to  “ work  your  way.”  Many  a 
noble  fellow  has  done  that;  and  yet  many 
who  have  attempted  it  have  given  up  in  dis- 
couragement. When  Bishop  Simpson  was 
President  of  Asbury  University,  an  awkward, 
poorly-dressed,  country  boy,  came  to  his  office 
to  register  as  a student.  With  his  usual 
kindly  interest.  Dr.  Simpson  spoke  to  the 
young  man  about  the  amount  of  time  and 
hard  work  it  takes  to  master  a college  course. 

“ Have  you  the  means  to  carry  you 
through  ? ” he  asked.  “ What  have  you  to 
depend  upon  ? ” 

The  young  American  straightened  his  mus- 
cular frame,  and  extended  his  snn-browned 
hands,  with  the  brave  reply:  “ My  two  hands, 
sir.” 

You  will  not  be  surprised  to  know  that  he 
got  his  education,  and  also,  that  he  became 
a United  States  senator. 


m SCHOOL, 


43 


You  may  have  only  your  two  hands  to  de- 
pend upon,  and  you  shrink  from  the  sacrifices 
involved  in  “working  your  way.”  I would 
be  glad  to  say  a word  that  shall  turn  the 
scale  in  favor  of  the  best  possible  culture. 
Other  duties  may  interfere.  Your  health 
may  prove  unequal  to  the  strain.  These, 
however,  are  the  exceptional ' cases.  With 
youtliful  courage  and  vigor,  and  a spirit  con- 
scious of  the  dignity  of  its  relation  to  God, 
you  will  find  each  sacrifice  light,  as  it  passes. 
In  later  years  the  trials  will  be  remembered  as 
certificates  of  “pluck,”  in  winch  you  will 
pride  yourself,  as  soldiers  take  pleasure  in 
showing  their  scars. 

The  time  seems  long;  but  you  will  find 
when  you  get  at  the  work  of  responsible  life 
that  your  education  is  so  much  capital,  enab- 
ling you  to  work  at  just  so  much  better  ad- 
vantage. 

The  times  demand  straight,  strong  think- 
ing. Many  a good  enterprise  comes  to  loss 
and  wreck  because  they  to  whom  it  is  en- 


44  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

trusted  have  not  the  ability  to  think  all  the 
way  around  and  through  its  interests.  There 
is  usually  a screw  left  loose,  or  a cord  flying, 
and  through  that  carelessness  ruin  conies  to 
the  project.  The  college  is  a mental  gymna- 
sium. The  most  that  school  work  does  for 
one  is  to  teach  him  to  think  steadily  and 
thoroughly.  Your  muscle  may  have  been  de- 
veloped at  the  plow  handles,  or  in  the  boat 
club.  It  matters  little  how  you  get  the 
toughness  and  strength ; the  question  is,  can 
you  breast  the  wave  when  a life  is  in  danger? 
College  emulations  and  honors  are  remem- 
bered only  to  be  laughed  over  when  the  years 
sift  snow  upon  one’s  head.  The  only  serious 
point  then  will  be,  did  they  develop  in  you 
strength  to  think  out  a helpful  plan  for  a 
hundred  poor  fellows  who  never  learned  to 
think  for  themselves. 

In  these  days  no  one  is  entrusted  to  do  dif- 
ficult work  without  long  and  careful  training. 
Mind  needs  drill  as  certainly  as  muscle.  A 
horse  is  driven  over  the  track  hour  after 


IN  SCHOOL. 


45 


hour,  and  day  after  day,  when  men  intend  to 
risk  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars  upon  his 
ability  to  put  his  foot  down  in  a given  place 
within  a given  second.  singer  who  was 
gifted  with  a good  voice  went  to  an  Italian 
vocal  trainer  to  know  what  he  could  do  for 
him  in  the  way  of  culture.  The  reply  was ; 
“ If  you  will  study  a year  I will  make  you 
sing  well.  If  two  years,  you  may  excel.  If 
you  will  practice  the  scales  constantly  for 
three  years,  I wUl  make  you  the  best  tenore 
in  Italy.  If  for  four  years,  you  may  have 
the  world  at  your  feet.” 

Malibran  said : “ If  I neglect  my  practice 
a day,  I see  the  difference  in  my  execution. 
If  for  two  days,  my  friends  see  it ; and  if  for 
a week,  all  the  world  knows  my  failure.” 

If  drill  is  essential  to  the  best  use  of  mus- 
cle, how  can  we  expect  good  work  from  un- 
trained thought  ? 

You  may  forget  your  mathematical  for- 
mulse,  just  as  you  forget  the  weight  of  the 
dumb-bells  you  use  in  the  gymnasium,  or  the 


46  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

lieiglit  and  length  of  the  bars ; but  in  both 
cases  you  will  have  the  strength  that  the  ex- 
ercise gave  for  the  actual  work  of  life. 
Another  may  succeed  where  you  fail  in  some 
crisis  hour,  because  he  was  trained  as  you 
were  not,  to  track  tirelessly  a principle 
through  all  manner  of  entanglements  and 
sophistries.  . 

Have  you  ever  read  Plato’s  dialectics  ? It 
is  amusing  to  see  how  Socrates  drives  the 
sophist  by  a little  turn  of  expression  from 
one  point  to  another,  till  he  makes  him  give 
an  answer  to  a question  that  is  directly 
opposite  the  one  he  gave  to  the  same  question 
in  the  outset.  There  are  plenty  of  sophists 
in  the  world  yet,  and  if  we  would  escape 
their  false  conclusions  and  the  consequent 
mischief,  we  must  be  able  to  follow  the  trail 
of  a thought  as  tirelessly  as  a sleuth-hound 
scents  a track ; and  that  we  are  able  to  do 
only  after  long,  close  drill. 

The  difference  between  studying  a subject 
till  you  know  all  about  it,  and  slurring  it 


IK  SCHOOL. 


47 


over,  taking  in  only  a few  surface  facts,  may 
be  illustrated  by  a story  tbat  is  told  of  Ag- 
assiz when  be  was  teaching  on  Penikese  Is- 
land. An  entomologist  who  had  some  rep- 
utation in  his  own  line,  came  to  perfect  him- 
self under  the  great  teacher.  To  his  aston- 
ishment, Agassiz  gave  him  a fish  to  study, 
telling  him  to  use  his  eyes  upon  it,  and  be 
ready  for  an  examination  in  an  hour  or  so, 
that  he  might  be  properly  graded.  The  gen- 
tleman looked  the  fish  over  carefully,  deter- 
mining its  class,  genus,  species,  and  peculiar 
characteristics.  He  fonnd  out  everything 
about  the  subject  that  he  could  think  of,  and 
yet  Agassiz  did  not  come.  There  lay  the 
fish,  staring  at  him  with  its  dead  eyes,  and 
disgusting  him  with  its  odor ; but  a full  hour 
passed  before  the  teacher  appeared.  When 
the  entomologist  recited  his  lesson,  to  his 
chagrin,  Agassiz  shook  his  head.  “You’U 
have  to  try  again,  sir,  you  have  n’t  looked  at 
the  fish  yet.”  The  student  was  somewhat 
out  of  patience,  but  his  faith  in  Agassiz  held 


48  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

him  to  the  work ; and  he  discovered  many 
tilings  that  he  had  before  overlooked.  Yet 
he  was  obliged  to  wait  some  time  for  the  pro- 
fessor after  he  had  found  out  all  that  he 
thought  it  possible  for  him  to  see  in  that  fish. 
This  time,  though  the  examination  was  a lit- 
tle more  satisfactory,  Agassiz  said,  “ You  ’ll 
have  to  try  once  more,  sir,  you  have  n’t 
shown  yet  that  you  know  how  to  use  your 
eyes ; and  without  that  you  can’t  do  anything 
with  entomology.”  By  that  time  the  student 
was  thoroughly  aroused,  and  he  went  to  work 
in  good  earnest.  When  the  professor  came 
back  he  was  so  deeply  interested  in  points 
that  he  had  not  noticed  before,  that  he  did 
not  observe  when  Agassiz  came  in.  “ That 
will  do,”  said  the  teacher,  “ I see  you  can  be 
made  to  use  your  eyes,  and  I know,  now, 
what  to  do  with  you.” 

The  main  object  of  your  school  drill  is  to 
help  you  form  a habit  of  using  your  faculties. 
Their  daily  exercise  unfolds  them,  and  devel- 
ops their  strength,  so  that  they  will  be  able 
to  do  good  work  in  later  years. 


m SCHOOL. 


49 


But  you  ask  if  you  could  not  get  that  ex- 
ercise at  home,  and  so  save  time  and  money. 
Yes,  but  you  wUl  not  be  apt  to  do  so,  because 
other  things  will  claim  your  attention,  and 
will  constantly  break  in  upon  your  plans. 
To  get  the  necessary  discipline  you  need  to 
go  away  from  your  ordinary  avocations,  and 
set  apart  several  years  for  that  special  object. 
Take,  for  instance,  one  point  that  is  of  prime 
importance  in  all  the  business  of  life  ; punctu- 
ality, — a habit  of  doing  the  proper  thing  at 
the  proper  time.  The  college  bell  is  the  in- 
structor in  that  department,  and  there  is  not 
a more  useful  member  of  the  faculty.  If 
students  acquire  a habit  of  presenting  them- 
selves in  a given  place  at  a given  moment,  it 
will  give  a reliability  of  mental  action  that 
will  be  of  incalculable  value  in  the  years  to 
come.  There  are  other  educating  influences 
in  college  life  that  are  not  represented  by  the 
number  of  text-books  mastered.  Listening 
to  good  music  develops  musical  taste.  By 
familiarity  with  fine  pictures  the  eye  is  culti- 


50  PROM  PIPTEEN  TO  TWENTY-PIVE. 

vated  to  discern  the  points  that  mark  a gen- 
uine work  of  art.  The  atmosphere  about  a 
college  is  bookish,  and  unless  one  is  quite  ob- 
tuse, his  taste  for  books  will  be  thereby  devel- 
oped. 

The  personal  influence  of  the  college  fac- 
ulty is  a matter  of  no  small  unportance.  Con- 
tact with  a refined,  cultured  person,  educates 
one.  College  professors  are  selected  with 
care,  and  students  have  daily  association  with 
them.  The  best  they  give  their  classes  is  not 
what  they  find  in  the  text  they  are  teaching, 
but  their  own  lives  — themselves.  One  can 
hardly  help  noticing  how  even  the  manner- 
isms of  a strong  professor  are  unconsciously 
imitated  by  his  students. 

Society  work,  with  the  contests  and  class 
victories  of  school  life,  look  like  mimic  war 
to  those  who  are  handling  the  world’s  serious, 
actual  facts  ; but  after  all,  they  help  develop 
mental  courage,  which  is,  perhaps,  the  chief 
factor  in  every  great  enterprise. 

When  a young  man  stands  on  the  thresh- 


IN  SCHOOL. 


51 


old  of  active  life,  quivering  with,  restless  en- 
ergy, it  seems  like  a heavy  investment  for  him 
to  give  four  years,  and  the  amount  of  money 
that  represents  the  difference  in  value  be- 
tween a consumer  and  a producer,  for  the 
sake  of  securing  a liberal  education.  Yet  he 
will  hardly  find  an  easier  way  to  lay  up  ten 
thousand  dollars.  Aside  from  the  pleasure  of 
knowing  something  of  the  classics  and  the 
sciences,  and  the  fellowship  with  bookish  peo- 
ple, his  education  may  have  that  financial 
value.  His  salary  may  be  increased  by  it 
eight  hundred  or  a thousand  dollars  a year ; 
and  that  is  the  interest  on  ten  thousand.  Add 
to  this  its  cumulative  value,  and  also  that 
the  higher  and  better-paid  positions  are  hard- 
ly open  to  one  who  is  not  liberally  educated, 
and  you  will  see  that  the  investment  is  a 
profitable  one. 

It  may  be  well  for  me  to  remind  you  of 
the  dangers  of  your  school  life,  as  forewarned 
may  be  forearmed. 

Young  men  sometimes  become  coarse  and 


52  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

boorish,  in  their  exile  from  the  refinements  of 
home.  Hasty  meals  in  boarding-houses  and 
“ club  ” dining-rooms,  are  apt  to  mar  table 
manners.  The  charming  accomplishment  of 
table  talk  that  saves  the  dining-room  from 
becoming  a mere  feeding  place,  making  it  the 
scene  of  delightful  and  helpful  domestic  re- 
union, is  quite  lost. 

A college  curriculum  is  so  heavy  as  to 
leave  the  average  student  little  time  for 
legitimate  recreation.  When  he  gets  away 
from  his  books,  his  bottled-up  spirits  are  apt 
to  find  vent  in  mischievous  tricks,  that  de- 
pend mainly  for  their  fascination  upon  the 
discomfort  they  occasion  some  one  who  has 
given  offense,  either  by  his  strictness  or  his 
verdancy, — a mild  type  of  savagery  that  de- 
velops in  the  perpetrator  anything  but  no- 
bleness of  soul.  A student  who  is  betrajmd 
into  that  sort  of  mischief,  is  liable  to  become 
a cheat  in  addition  to  the  braggadocio,  swag- 
ger, and  deception,  that  are  cultivated  by  such 
exercises.  If  he  is  out  half  the  night  in  such 


IN  SCHOOL. 


53 


adventures,  lie  will  have  to  cheat  his  way 
through  the  recitation  room,  or  lose  his  class 
standing.  He  cheats  his  parents,  who  may  he 
sacrificing  heavily  to  get  money  to  pay  his 
bills.  He  cheats  himself  out  of  a chance  to 
lay  a foundation  for  a strong,  useful  charac- 
ter. 

Now  and  then  a wild  college  boy  has  come 
out  of  his  freaks  into  a noble  manhood,  and 
people  who  are  afflicted  with  “bad  boys,” 
have  tried  to  wheedle  themselves  into  a 
belief  that  that  wildness  is  a sign  of  special 
mental  activity.  “Young  men  must  sow 
their  wild  oats,”  they  say,  in  a ghastly 
attempt  at  a cheerful  view  of  the  case.  Now 
if  by  “ wild  oats  ” they  mean  infractions  of 
the  moral  law,  doing  unto  others  as  you 
would  not  have  others  do  to  you,  we  say  “ No  ! 
a thousand  times,  no  ! ” Young  men  are  not 
idiots,  that  they  should  be  exempt  from 
moral  obligation,  hlen  claim  and  hold  the 
prerogative  of  making  all  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical laws  for  all  the  land.  They  elect  our 


54  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

rulers.  They  aspire  to  fill  all  our  college 
professorships  and  presidencies,  to  he  the 
presbyters  and  bishops ; and  shall  we  permit 
such  faults  in  their  early  training  as  may 
leave  an  unsound  place  in  the  foundation  of 
their  character  ? Do  not  all  teachers  know 
that  perfection  in  any  line  can  be  hoped  for 
only  from  training  begun  in  early  childhood? 
The  United  States  Commissioner  of  Educa- 
tion said  to  me  one  day,  “ I am  learning  to 
lay  more  stress  on  primary  teaching.  I am 
coming  to  believe  that  education,  to  do  its 
best,  must  begin  with  the  breath.”  Dare  we 
say  that  moral  training  is  exceptional? 
Holmes  says  that  tampering  with  sin  is  like 
touching  nitrate  of  silver.  The  stain  is  there, 
though  it  may  not  show.  All  that  is  needed 
to  bring  it  out  is  a strong  enough  light.  So 
I say,  if  you  expect  to  become  a sovereign 
and  law-giver,  touch  notlfing,  even  “ in  fun,” 
that  has  in  it  a moral  taint. 

Ancient  Egyptian  kings  permitted  none 
but  persons  of  noble  blood  to  serve  their 


IK  SCHOOL. 


55 


cliildren  as  menials^  or  be  near  them,  for  fear 
the  princes  and  princesses  would  become 
coarse  and  common  by  contact  with  uncul- 
tured people.  If  we  leave  the  law-making  to 
men,  we  must  insist  that  they  be  kept  pure 
from  babyhood,  so  that  their  moral  sense 
may  be  firm,  true,  and  reliable. 

So  let  us  have  no  more  stealing  from 
pantries,  petty  larcenies  upon  melon  patches 
and  orchards,  tricks  at  the  expense  of  pro- 
fessors, or  hazing  of  freshmen.  What  woxild 
you  think  if  your  sister  were  guilty  of  such 
offences?  Yet  her  responsibility  in  church 
and  state  will  be  light  beside  yours  when 
you  reach  maturity. 

College  training  is  supposed  to  be  a way 
of  forming,  at  large  expense,  right  mental 
and  moral  habits.  Every  hour  that  the 
student  gives  to  mischief,  defeats,  by  so 
much,  the  purpose  of  the  work.  It  takes 
time  and  strength  from  legitimate  drill,  and 
wastes  them  upon  that  which  develops  the 
opposite  of  the  refined,  modest  manners,  that 
characterize  the  scholarly  gentleman. 


56  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

“ Oh,  but  a fellow  can’t  keep  himself  laced 
down  to  books  all  the  time, — all  work  and 
no  play,  lie  has  got  to  have  some  fun.” 
To  be  sure  he  has.  Recreation  is  just  as 
needful  in  its  place  as  study.  The  oil  on  the 
axle  of  a car-wheel  is  necessary  to  the  wear 
of  the  metal,  but  you  have  to  look  out,  or  a 
“ heated  journal  ” will  set  things  on  fire. 
More  than  one  young  man  takes  his  parch- 
ment with  a face  stained  with  the  smoke  of 
a “ heated  journal.” 

“ Oh,  but  your  fiddufine,  Miss-Nan cy-ish, 
button-hole-boquet  men,  never  amount  to 
anything.  It  is  grip  and  grit  that  win ; and 
they  are  developed  by  getting  into  scrapes 
and  then  getting  out  by  your  wits.’^  I think 
you  have  hardly  gone  to  the  bottom  of  this 
subject,  if  that  last  sentence  is  your  conclu- 
sion. I agree  with  you  that  a literary,  or 
scholastic,  or  professional  “ dude, ’’even  in  tluj 
pulpit,  is  as  certainly  a failure  as  his 
ridiculous,  fashionable  confrere.  We  are 
never  disappointed  in  lily-fingered  carpet 


IN  SCHOOL. 


67 


knights,  for  we  never  expect  them  to  do  any- 
thing brave  or  strong.  They  are  what  they 
are,  not  on  account  of  mental  drill  and  loyalty 
to  moral  principle,  but  in  spite  of  efforts  to 
develop  their  virility.  Webster  said  his 
oratorical  success  was  altogether  the  result 
of  hard  study.  Alexander  Hamilton  said, 
“ People  sometimes  attribute  my  success  to 
genius.  All  the  genius  I know  anything 
about  is  hard  work.”  Agassiz  defined  genius 
to  be  a capacity  for  an  infinity  of  toil. 

John  Wesley  moved  and  is  still  moving 
millions  toward  God.  He  was  like  Themis- 
tocles,  who  said,  “I  cannot  play  the  fiddle, 
but  I know  how  to  make  a small  town  become 
a large  city.”  Through  W esley’s  labors  many 
and  many  a desert  place  is  made  to  bud  and 
blossom  as  the  rose.  When  he  was  in  Oxford, 
instead  of  spending  his  nights  in  taking 
clappers  out  of  college  bells,  or  tying  geese 
in  professors’  chairs,  he  was  visiting  the  sick 
and  poor,  praying  with  prisoners,  and  stirring 
up  to  good  works  those  whom  the  others  in 


58  FEOM  riETEEN  TO  TWENTT-EIVE. 

derision  called  “the  Holy  Club,” — practicing 
the  noble  works  upon  which  he  was  to  spend 
his  life,  and  to  which  he  was  to  move  tens  of 
thousands. 

If  you  mean  to  make  the  most  of  your 
college  life,  you  must  plan  for  plenty  of 
vigorous  out-door  sports  to  give  you  the 
necessary  nerve  and  muscle.  You  must  also 
see  to  it  that  your  mental  work  is  done  in 
such  a way  as  to  produce  the  best  results. 
It  is  possible  to  recite  a long  lesson  accurately 
by  training  the  memory  to  carry  a heavy  load 
for  a short  time,  and  then  to  throw  it  down, 
not  to  be  shouldered  again  unless  for  a 
similar  sharp  effort.  Such  work  gives  very 
little  actual  exercise  of  the  other  mental 
faculties.  It  does  not  teach  thinking,  but 
rather  how  to  escape  the  drudgery  of  thought. 
Few  teachers  know  how  to  detect  and  correct 
this  fault.  If  you  have  fallen  into  it,  maldng 
your  work  mainly  mnemonic,  and  giving  but 
little  time  and  strength  to  following  out  and 
assimilating  the  thought  of  your  authors,  you 


r 


m SCHOOL.  59 

must  set  about  an  immediate  reform,  or  you 
will  be  but  little  helped  by  your  college  work. 
Of  course  you  understand  that  the  helps  to 
feeble  students  that  are  so  easily  procured, — 
“ponies,”  you  college  boys  call  them, — 
writing  Greek  case  and  tense  endings  on 
cuffs  and  thumb-nails,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing,  cheats  nobody  so  seriously  as  it  does 
the  perpetrator.  Unless  he  means  to  be  true 
to  himself,  honest  rmder  the  lidless  eye,  his 
diploma  will  mean  but  little,  and  it  will  be 
of  small  use  in  the  future. 

There  is  risk  that  good,  honest  study  may 
interfere  with  your  spirituality.  Not  that 
there  is  the  least  incompatibility  between  the 
best  thinking  and  the  highest  spiritual  attain- 
ments. Only  shallow  thinkers  and  narrow 
observers  hold  that  they  are  opposed  to  each 
other.  The  fact  is,  they  who  have  done  the 
best  intellectual  work  are  the  most  completely 
loyal  to  the  Lord.  In  Him  are  hid  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge.  He 
has  promised  to  give  wisdom  liberally. 


60  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

Yet  there  is  risk  that  in  using  assiduously 
the  means  of  mental  growth  you  may  neglect 
your  spiritual  development.  A study  may 
be  specially  difficult  for  you,  or  you  may  be 
unavoidably  hindered  in  your  work,  and  fall 
behind  your  class.  In  your  effort  to  make 
up  what  is  lacking,  you  neglect  your  Bible 
and  private  prayer.  You  crowd  these  duties 
into  the  last  few  minutes  before  going  to  bed, 
when  you  are  too  tired  to  do  anything  well, 
and  you  get  very  little  help  from  them. 

After  a while  you  find  yourself  haunted  all 
day  Sunday  with  the  lessons  that  you  must 
recite  Monday  forenoon ; and  you  allow  your- 
self to  slip  into  the  habit  of  studying,  — do- 
ing week-day  work  on  the  Lord’s  day.  A 
fatal  mistake,  — as  certainly  harmful  to  the 
mind  that  needs  its  seventh-day  rest,  as  to 
the  soul,  that  is  thus  robbed  of  its  day  of 
worship. 

You  find  yourself  growing  indifferent  to 
the  Lord  and  His  work,  and  you  think  it  is 
because  you  miss  the  home  helps.  Not  so. 


IN  SCHOOL. 


61 


You  are  sinning  against  God  and  starving 
your  soul.  You  are  forfeiting  your  best 
chance  for  a useful  and  happy  life.  The  old 
home  means  of  grace  that  you  used  to  enjoy 
so  heartily,  will  seem  tame  and  insipid  enough 
when  you  go  back  to  them ; and  you  will  find 
yourself  miserably  backslidden  in  heart,  if 
not  in  life.  This  is  a matter  of  the  utmost 
importance.  We  have  a day  of  prayer  for 
schools  and  colleges.  It  ought  to  find  every 
Christian  in  the  land  in  earnest  supplication 
for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon 
our  young  people  who  are  studying.  The 
men  and  women  who  are  to  do  the  world’s 
work  a few  years  hence,  are  now  in  school, 
and  upon  their  integrity  depends  the  future. 
Now  is  the  time  to  reach  and  save  them.  A 
little  effort  now  will  result  more  than  a great 
deal  put  forth  by  and  by.  They  are  sensi- 
tive, shy;  many  of  them  heart-sore,  on  ac- 
count of  their  wrenching  loose  from  home 
scenes  and  friends.  It  would  not  take  much 
to  lead  them  to  trust  the  Elder  Brother.  A 


62  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

great  many  are  converted  to  Christ  during 
their  school  life ; and  yet  many  others  lose 
their  hold  on  God,  and  become  quite  formal 
and  careless  in  their  piety.  The  Christian 
student  who  gets  away  from  the  Lord,  not 
only  harms  himself,  but  he  loses  his  chance 
to  help  others  whom  he  may  never  again  find 
in  so  susceptible  a mood,  even  if  he  ever 
meets  them  again  at  all. 

Nothing  succeeds  without  God’s  blessing. 
If  one  would  reach  the  highest  success,  he 
must  let  the  motive  for  studying  be  purified 
by  the  blood  of  Christ,  so  that  he  can  say  by 
faith,  “ I am  seeking  this  education  that  I 
may  the  better  do  His  will.”  Then  he  can 
trust,  with  tremorless  confidence,  that  he 
will  be  taken  safely  through  all  hard  places. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

I KNOW  by  bitter  personal  experience  the 
disappointment  that  clouds  the  life  when  the 
verdict  is  finally  given,  and  one  has  to  give 
up  going  to  school.  Attempt  after  attempt 
has  been  made,  but  the  barriers  are  insur- 
mountable,— poor  health,  weak  eyes,  no 
money.  Many  a spirited  young  fellow  has 
faced  these  obstacles  with  throbbing  brain 
and  sinking  heart.  He  sees  others  going 
right  on,  though  they  care  very  little  for 
what  is  to  him  of  untold  worth.  They  idle 
and  cheat  their  way  through  a college  course, 
prodigal  of  time,  careless  about  money,  indif- 
ferent to  books.  The  disappointed  student 
quivers  in  every  nerve  with  a hard  hunger  to 
know,  a great  desire  to  live  above  the  coarse, 

63 


64  FEOM"  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

common  level  of  physical  wants,  and  an  am- 
bition to  be  able,  some  day,  to  help  the  weak 
and  poor  to  a better  plane  of  life. 

There  is  an  infinite  pathos  in  what  Mr. 
Lineoln  said  when  Stephen  A.  Douglas  had 
beaten  him  in  a senatorial  campaign.  “ Doug- 
las’ lifft  is  all  success ; mine  all  failure.  I 
would  give  all  my  years  and  chanees  to  have 
the  opportunity  that  has  come  to  him,  of  do- 
ing something  to  hft  up  the  oppressed.” 

The  conscientious,  thoughtful  young  man, 
who  has  been  obliged  to  give  up  his  school 
life,  can  hardly  bite  back  the  bitter  question, 
“ Why  does  n’t  God  give  me  a little  chance 
to  be  somebody?  He  knows  I want  to  do 
good.  I mean  to  use  all  my  strength  to  help 
others,  but  I am  baulked  at  every  point.  I 
can’t  understand  it.”  Let  me  whisper  a word 
in  your  ear.  God  never  blunders,  and  He  is 
never  careless.  As  a father  pitieth  his  chil- 
dren, so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him. 
He  delights  in  the  prosperity  of  His  children. 
If  Pie  takes  away  what  seems  to  you  most 


OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


65 


desirable  and  essential,  it  is  that  He  may 
give  you  something  that  He  regards  far  bet- 
ter for  you. 

Which  reached  the  goal  of  the  nation’s 
love,  the  world’s  honor,  and  the  Christly  op- 
portunity, Douglas  or  Lincoln  ? 

A young  man  who  had  been  obliged  to  leave 
school,  was  quite  rebellious  about  it.  He 
had  to  go  to  work  on  a farm  with  his  Quaker 
uncle,  to  save  his  health  from  complete  wreck. 
One  day,  while  they  were  in  the  field,  he 
gave  expression  to  his  despair  over  what  he 
regarded  the  failure  of  his  life.  The  old  man 
had  seen  many  a dashing  fellow  shoot  up  like 
a rocket,  and  come  down  as  suddenly,  and  he 
knew  something  of  God’s  strength  and  pa- 
tience. He  leaned  on  his  hoe,  and  pushed 
back  his  old  straw  hat : — 

“Now  see  here,  John,”  he  said,  “ thee ’ll 
learn  in  time  that  God’s  ways  are  right,  all 
right  and  always'  right.  When  He  wants  thee 
to  have  Greek  and  Latin,  He  has  ways  enough 
to  give  thee  Greek  and  Latin.  If  He 


66  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

does  n’t  want  thee  to  have  them,  thee ’d  bet- 
ter let  them  alone,  and  have  no  more  words 
about  it.  Thee  ’ll  find  in  the  end  that  God’s 
way  is  always  the  right  one.” 

“ But,”  you  say,  “ I am  not  at  all  sure  that 
it  is  the  Lord  who  has  put  me  under  these 
disabilities.  If  I had  taken  care  of  my  health 
when  I had  it,”  or,  “ If  I had  not  been  led 
into  that  folly,”  or,  “ If  my  father  had  been  a 
sober  man,”  or,  “ If  my  brother  had  not  been 
so  selfishly  ambitious,  I might  have  had  a 
chance.”  Regrets  cannot  change  the  facts. 

“ Let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead.”  The 
Lord  might  remove  those  disabilities,  hut  He 
does  not  choose  to  do  so.  The  only  wise 
thing  for  you  is  to  accept  the  facts  as  you 
find  them  now,  using  all  your  strength  in 
making  the  most  of  the  chances  that  are  left. 
The  only  safe  thing  is  to  trust  the  case  im- 
plicitly with  the  Lord.  Pindar  says,  “ The 
gods  themselves  cannot  undo  the  action  that 
is  done.”  When  our  God  forgives  our  sins 
He  puts  us  into  the  same  relation  with 


OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


67 


Plimself  tlaat  a child  ■would  have  "who  had 
never  sinned.  When  you  give  yourself  fully 
into  His  hands,  He  takes  you  to  make  the 
most  possible  of  you  for  His  service.  He 
may  let  obstacles  come  in  your  way  to  devel- 
op your  ability  to  overcome  difficulties.  We 
are  the  better  soldiers  for  every  battle,  the 
better  sailors  for  every  storm.  What  you 
want  to  gain  by  a liberal  education,  is  not 
the  privilege  of  saying,  “ I have  a piece  of 
parchment  given  me  by  the  faculty  and 
trustees  of  such  a college,  certifying  that  I 
spent  so  much  time  under  their  care,  and 
passed  examination  in  such  and  such  text- 
books.” No ; the  result  sought  is  the  devel- 
opment of  your  mental  powers  so  that  they 
can  be  relied  on  for  right  action  in  the  affairs 
of  life.  Natural  liistory  teaches  to  observe,as 
illustrated  by  Agassiz’  fish  lesson ; not  alone 
to  observe  insects  and  reptiles,  plants  and 
minerals,  but  facts,  phenomena,  events,  cur- 
rents of  thought,  trade,  literature,  people, 
hlathematical  drill  helps  to  power  for  sustain- 


68  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

ed,  continuous  thought.  If  you  lose  your 
hold  of  a problem  in  the  process  of  solution, 
you  will  lose  your  work,  and  have  it  all  to  do 
over,  as  if  you  had  dropped  a bucket  of  wa- 
ter that  you  were  drawing  up  cut  of  a well. 
The  ability  to  think  without  letting  go  till 
you  have  mastered  a theme,  is  usually  the  se- 
cret of  success  in  any  business.  It  is  said  of 
Socrates,  though  I must  confess  the  story  has 
a mythical  smack,  that  while  he  was  in  the 
army  he  stood  stock-still  twenty-four  hours 
in  the  rain,  his  comrades  marching  on,  and 
leaving  him  while  he  followed  a thought 
through  all  its  relations  and  involvements. 
Languages  make  one  think  nimbly.  In  the 
steady  flow  of  thought  he  must  catch  up  the 
foreign  word  and  fit  it  to  the  idea  with  the 
quickness  of  a flash,  or  he  will  find  himself 
stupidly  at  fault. 

The  knots  and  tangles  that  are  thrown  in 
a student’s  way,  in  all  departments,  are  to 
teach  him  to  concentrate  his  powers  on  a 
given  point,  that  whatever  his  hands  find  to 

do,  he  may  do  it  with  his  might. 


OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


69 


Not  one  in  ten  of  college  graduates  get 
this,  or  any  large  part  of  it,  out  of  the  course 
of  study.  The  world  would  be  much  wiser 
than  it  is,  if  they  did.  Many  go  through  in 
a jolly,  easy  way,  getting  over  the  ground 
with  as  little  trouble  as  possible.  Others 
struggle  through  after  a doltish,  stupid,  wood- 
en fashion,  their  objective  point  being  to  say 
they  have  been  through  college. 

What  you  want  is  the  strength  for  good 
work  that  four  years  of  honest,  hard  study, 
will  give.  Since  it  is  denied  you  to  get  it  in 
the  ordinary  way,  if  you  can  get  it  by  otlier 
means  all  will  yet  be  well.  Let  us  see.  God 
has  given  you  that  tliirst  for  knowledge,  that 
eagerness  for  books.  He  has  also  given  you 
to  see  the  greatness  of  His  work,  to  desire  a 
part  in  it,  and  to  fit  yourself  to  do  what  will 
be  strong  and  telling.  Now,  will  He  not  be 
pleased  in  some  way  to  supply  your  lack? 
If  this  result  of  a hberal  education  is  a real 
need,  is  it  not  provided  for  in  the  promise, 
“ My  God  shall  supply  all  your  need  accord- 
ing to  His  riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus”? 


70  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

What  lias  been  done  may  be  done.  I know 
a woman  who  bad  many  a battle,  sharp  and 
bitter,  because  she  was  hedged  by  ill  health 
and  poverty  from  the  studies  in  which  she 
delighted.  At  twenty-eight  she  gave  herself 
fully  to  the  Lord,  and  trusted  Him  to  cleanse 
her  from  all  sin.  Then,  with  purified  motives, 
she  asked  God  to  help  her  get  the  education 
for  which  her  heart  had  always  clamored. 
She  asked  it  for  His  glory,  that  she  might  do 
more  for  Him.  Everything  seemed  to  be  in 
the  way  of  the  answer.  Her  physician  told 
her  that  even  a light  degree  of  brain  work 
would  probably  result  in  paralysis.  An  ocu- 
list, one  of  the  best  on  the  continent,  told 
her,  after  a close  examination  of  her  eyes, 
that  if  she  would  give  them  perfect  rest  for 
six  months,  and  then  come  back  to  him,  he 
would  tell  her  if  there  was  any  hope  for  her 
to  escape  the  threatened  paralysis  of  the 
retina.  God  did  not  work  any  signs  or  won- 
ders in  answer  to  her  prayer,  but  He  gave 
her  strength  for  work,  day  after  day.  She 


OUT  03?  SCHOOL. 


71 


began  a course  of  reading,  and  to  write  for 
the  papers,  in  a darkened  room,  with  a little 
light  coming  in  over  one  shoulder.  She  also 
took  up  the  study  of  German,  though  she 
could  not  tell  a “B”  from  a “V”  without 
turning  the  book  sidewise.  She  could  not 
afford  a teacher,  and  she  could  spare  only 
fifteen  minutes  a day  for  her  German,  because 
she  did  her  own  house-work,  light,  heavy  and 
all ; the  sewing  for  her  family,  and  everything 
possible  for  her  in  the  church  and  Sunday- 
school,  beside  entertaining  no  end  of  company. 
She  made  one  little  rule  when  she  began,  and 
she  adhered  to  it  rigidly.  She  held  herself 
under  bonds  for  an  actual  fifteen  minutes 
of  study  each  day;  and  if  she  failed  one  day 
she  had  to  make  it  up  as  soon  as  possible. 
She  could  read  German  readily  before  she 
was  in  circumstances  to  study  a single  hour 
without  work  in  her  hands.  She  did  not  go 
through  all  the  text-books  of  a college  course, 
but  she  had  the  result  of  the  drill  as  cer- 
tainly as  she  would  if  she  had  graduated  in 


72  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

her  youth.  At  forty  she  was  carrying  a 
heavy  benevolent  work,  editing  a monthly 
paper,  and  filling  a professorship  in  a uni- 
versity. She  had  learned  to  hold  herself  in- 
exorably to  a given  duty  at  a given  time,  as 
if  she  obeyed  the  call  of  a college  bell  four 
years.  She  could  fix  her  attention  on  the 
thing  in  hand  as  well,  probably,  as  if  she  had 
been  under  the  stimulus  of  class  emulation 
and  professorial  influence  a given  period. 
She  could  make  the  shuttle  of  her  thought 
fly  as  nimbly  through  the  web  of  affairs,  as 
if  she  had  translated  the  college  Greek  and 
Latin,  with  the  German  and  French  thrown 
in.  If  many  others  have  tried  to  do  the 
same  thing  and  failed,  it  is  possibly  because 
they  did  not  trust  God  as  she  was  driven  to 
do  when  everything  was  against  her. 

I have  a friend  who  was  fettered  and  held 
back  in  his  boyhood  from  the  education  he 
was  most  eager  to  acquire.  At  eighteen  he 
succeeded  in  getting  off  to  a literary  institu 
tion  for  a few  months,  and  he  determined  to 


OUT  OP  SCHOOL. 


73 


make  the  most  of  his  chance.  He  carried 
ten  studies.  By  a masterful  effort  he  obliged 
liimself  to  throw  all  his  strength  upon  a given 
point,  and  when  that  was  conquered,  upon 
another.  By  that  means  he  learned  his  les- 
sons in  the  shortest  possible  time.  You  may 
be  sure  he  had  no  leisure  for  revery  or  castle- 
building, nor  for  college  mischief.  In  those 
few  months  he  had  more  actually  helpful 
drill  than  most  students  do  in  a full  course 
of  study.  At  twenty-six,  before  most  young 
men  are  fairly  in  the  saddle,  he  had  built  up 
a heavy  business,  and  he  was  maldng  money 
by  the  thousands.  His  success  was  the  result 
of  a habit  formed  in  his  lonely,  cramped, 
home  study,  and  in  his  short,  school  drill. 
When  he  sat  at  his  desk  with  a heavy  trans- 
action on  hand,  he  would  throw  all  his 
strength  upon  it,  quite  unconscious  of  what 
was  passing  in  the  room.  A dozen  men 
might  be  talking  around  liim,  but  he  knew 
nothing  that  they  said,  till  his  head  clerk 
gave  him  to  understand  that  he  must  attend 


74  mOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

to  something  else  that  could  no  longer  be 
neglected.  Then,  as  Dickens  used  to  turn 
the  key  of  liis  room  to  lock  in  the  characters 
of  the  story  upon  which  he  was  busy,  telling 
them  to  wait  till  he  could  come  to  them 
again,  so  this  young  man  would  lay  aside  the 
business  upon  which  he  was  at  work,  take  up 
the  other  matter  and  arrange  it,  and  then  go 
back  to  the  first,  losing  himself  in  it  as  be- 
fore, holding  every  thread  clearly  and  with- 
out entanglement. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  in  school  only  six 
months  of  his  life,  and  a little  backwoods 
affair  it  was  at  that.  When  he  began  to  take 
hold  of  national  questions  he  used  to  lie  on 
the  lounge  in  his  office,  watching  the  flies  on 
the  ceiling,  as  it  seemed,  but  as  he  said  after- 
ward, “ bounding  the  subject  in  hand,  north, 
south,  east  and  west.”  He  was  tracking  out 
its  relation  to  all  other  questions,  and  find- 
ing the  exact  principles  of  right  involved. 
When  the  hour  struck  he  was  ready  to  take 
the  helm,  and  hold  steady  in  the  storm  the 


OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


75 


sliip  in  wliich  we  were  all  sailing,  and  that 
seemed  to  be  driving  straight  upon  the  rocks. 

It  is  certain  that  the  mental  strength 
gained  by  a college  course  may  be  secured  in 
other  ways,  and  in  ways  from  which  one  with 
average  ability  can  hardly  be  hedged. 

The  first  thing,  I would  advise  you  to  give 
your  case  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Tell  him  that  you  choose  His  will  in 
this  matter.  He  may  mean  you  to  stay  here 
so  short  a time  that  there  is  none  to  spare  in 
preparation.  He  may  have  some  plain, 
simple  work  for  you  that  he  prefers  you  to 
take  up  at  once,  deferring  your  larger 
intellectual  development  till  you  get  into 
the  other  world.  Deliberately  lay  aside  your 
own  plans,  and  choose  His,  whatever  they 
may  prove  to  be,  no  matter  how  they  may  go 
against  your  inclination.  I never  shall  forget 
the  hour  when  I made  that  surrender.  One 
afternoon  when  the  Holy  Sphit  sent  His 
light  into  the  depths  of  my  soul,  I discovered, 
hidden  away,  like  the  wedge  of  gold  in 


76  FKOM'rirTEEN  TO  TWENTY-EIVE. 

Achan’s  tent,  a determination  to  work,  and 
study,  and  make  something  of  myself.  Not 
that  I might  win  the  wealth  and  honors  of 
the  world,  but  I would  make  for  myself  a 
dainty,  little  snuggery  into  which  I would 
bring  a few  fine  books  and  pictures,  some 
good  music,  and  a coterie  of  choice  friends. 
The  loud,  rough,  coarse,  old  world  might  wag 
its  way,  and  not  a whit  would  I care  for  its 
tinsel  and  show ; nor  its  troubles,  either, — 
do  you  see  ? The  Lord  in  kindness  threw  a 
picture  upon  the  canvas  that  day,  that  gave 
me  to  see  how  wickedly  selfish  was  my  little 
scheme.  I saw  myself  in  a hospital  with 
scores  of  people  who  were  dying,  and  there 
was  no  one  to  give  them  their  medicine,  or 
even  a cup  of  cold  water.  I had  been  sent 
there  under  orders  to  help  all  whom  I could 
possibly  reach ; and  there  I was,  planning  to 
fit  up  my  exquisite  little  room,  in  one  corner, 
its  walls  padded  to  shut  out  the  groans,  and 
to  shut  in  the  delicacy  and  beauty  that  I 
hoped  to  gather  about  me.  I saw  that 


OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


77 


selfishness  like  that  could  never  get  • into 
Heaven.  The  word  was,  “ If  any  man  have 
not  the  spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His.” 
“ He  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost.”  “ Though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes 
He  became  poor,  that  we  through  His  poverty 
might  be  made  rich.”  When  I saw  that,  I was 
enabled  to  say,  “ I give  it  all  up.  Henceforth 
for  me,  only  Thy  will,  and  Thy  work.”  The 
pain  of  the  surrender  was  so  severe  that  a 
knife  seemed  to  pierce  my  heart,  and  the 
tears  leaped  from  my  eyes.  Let  me  add  that 
all  these  years,  just  in  proportion  as  I have 
held  myself  loyal  to  that  surrender,  has  God 
given  me  richly  to  enjoy  the  things  that  I 
put  aside  to  accept  His  will. 

Having  given  all  into  His  hands,  you  ask 
Him  to  make  all  your  motives  pure ; and  then 
you  set  about  making  the  most  of  yourself 
for  His  sake,  and  that  you  may  do  His  work 
to  the  best  advantage.  You  will  find  Him 
constantly  helping  you  from  that  hour,  and 
more  abundantly  as  you  trust  Him  more 


78  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

implicitly.  You  surrender  without  condi- 
tions, as  to  a monarch  whose  claims  you  had 
neglected,  hut  Avhose  right  to  rule,  you  are 
forced  to  acknowledge.  To  your  surprise, 
you  find  Him  the  tenderest,  most  loving,  and 
helpful  Father,  tke  strongest,  truest  Friend. 

He  may  not  see  fit  to  give  you  a collegiate 
coui’se,  but  He  will  help  to  you  the  mental 
drill  you  need  in  order  to  do  His  Avork 
properly.  In  the  light  that  He  gives,  you 
will  discover  your  mental  defects,  and  by 
what  efforts  you  can  master  them. 

He  will  probably  lead  you  quite  against 
your  natural  inclination.  One  to  whom 
mathematics  are  easy  usuall}^  needs  linguistic 
drill,  to  teach  him  quickness  of  thought.  If 
he  prefers  the  languages,  he  will  probably 
need  mathematics  to  help  him  to  continuity 
of  thinking.  If  you  are  fond  of  public  excite- 
ment and  occasions,  the  Lord  will  be  very  apt 
to  shut  you  up  to  quiet  and  retirement.  If 
you  have  whims  and  fancies  that  make  you 
reserved  and  exclusive,  he  Avill  be  apt  to 


OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 


79 


keep  yon  a great  deal  before  the  people. 
This  for  your  own  better  development,  and 
because  you  are  more  likely  to  lean  on  His 
strength,  and  so  give  Him  a chance  to  help 
you  in  the  line  in  which  you  do  not  feel 
yourself  at  home.  Be  all  that  as  it  may,  if 
you  put  yourself  in  His  hands,  and  trust 
Him  imphcitly.  He  will  fit  you  up  for  the 
best  work  and  give  you  the  best  scope  for 
your  ability. 

George  Muller,  who  has  been  used  of  God 
for  such  a marvelous  faith  work  in  England, 
began  while  he  was  a student  asldng  God  to 
lielp  him  with  his  studies.  His  faith  has 
sent  a thrill  through  the  entire  Christian 
church. 

With  God’s  blessing  human  perseverance 
and  industry  may  be  almost  limitless  in  results. 
All  things  are  possible  with  God,  and  all 
things  are  possible  to  Him  that  believeth. 


CHAPTER  V. 

YOUR  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE. 

What  I have  to  say  to  my  class  of  twenty 
thousand  under  this  head,  may  not  just 
now  be  applicable  to  all,  but  there  is  no 
knowing  how  soon  it  may  be  of  interest  to 
the  richest,  in  this  uncertain  America,  where 
we  have  no  entailed  estates,  and  property 
currents  change  most  readily. 

In  talking  to  young  men  who  are  poor,  I 
mean,  of  course,  only  in  finance.  A man 
may  not  have  a penny  in  his  pocket, 
and  yet  have  superb  muscle.  Indeed,  the 
chances  in  that  line  are  increased  by  poverty, 
for  we  are  too  indolent  to  exercise  properly 
unless  we  are  driven  to  do  so  for  our  daily 
bread  ; and  only  the  muscle  that  is  used  to 
the  utmost  of  its  capability  has  full  strength. 

80 


YOUE  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE.  81 

Feel  of  a blaeksmitla’s  arm,  and  then  take 
hold  of  that  of  a delicate  young  fellow  who 
has  had  some  easy,  indoor  avocation.  It 
will  not  do  to  let  them  test  their  strength  in 
a tussle,  for  fear  the  sturdy  mechanic  will 
annilulate  the  dainty  little  man.  It  is  too 
palpable  to  need  proof  that  no  muscle  is  firm 
and  strong,  unless  it  is  constantly  and  vigor- 
ously used.  One  may  make  some  dilettant 
attempts  at  muscular  culture  in  a boat-club, 
or  gymnastic  class,  but  he  is  not  apt  to  give 
himself  to  the  business  with  sufficient  energy 
and  perseverance  to  bring  the  result,  unless 
he  is  obliged  to  eat  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of 
his  brow. 

You  who  are  poor  have  usually  the  better 
physical  outfit ; and  for  the  same  reasons, 
you  may  not  be  behind  in  mental  vigor; 
while  the  probabilities  of  moral  excellence 
may  also  be  in  your  favor.  Mean,  cringing, 
selfish  people,  flatter  and  cajole  those  who 
have  money,  and  so  are  able  to  help  them  in 
the  struggle  for  gain.  That  develops  egotism 


82  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

in  the  rich,  and  nothing  more  snrely  kills  the 
spiritual  life.  The  offences  of  the  rich  are 
overlooked  on  account  of  their  moneyed  im- 
portance, and  they  become  careless  about 
moral  obligation.  The  self-indulgence  which 
is  so  easy  and  natural  when  one  has  wealth, 
is  a deadly  enemy  to  noble,  unselfish, 
Christian  character.  Please  understand,  I do 
not  mean  that  all  rich  young  men  have 
suffered  mental  and  moral  loss  on  account  of 
their  difficult  surroundings.  That  is  the 
risk,  however,  and  our  Lord  must  have  had  it 
in  view  when  He  said,  “ How  hardly  shall 
they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  Heaven.” 

The  poor  have  also  their  special  tempta- 
tions. They  may  have  physical  injury  from 
over-work.  They  become  so  weary  with 
their  drudgery  that  they  take  light,  frothy 
amusements,  and  even  those  that  are  coarse 
and  disgusting,  to  make  them  forget  their 
hardships.  They  do  not  always  use  their 
leisure  on  good  books.  They  get  a false 


YOUE  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE  83 

estimate  of  cliaracter,  and  look  upon  getting 
money  as  the  one  thing  to  be  desired.  They 
make  haste  to  be  rich,  and  fall  into  hurtful 
and  deceitful  lusts  that  drown  men  in  destruc- 
tion and  perdition. 

They  are  quite  apt  to  succeed  in  getting 
“ filthy  lucre,”  for  the  currents  of  wealth 
move  by  law  as  certainly  as  do  the  tides  of 
the  sea ; and  economy  and  industry  usually 
strike  that  law,  and  find  the  current  sought. 
But  in  getting  money  they  miss  the  greater 
and  better  things.  They  find  at  last  that 
riches  fail  utterly  to  feed  the  hunger  of  the 
mind,  the  cravings  of  the  soul. 

Have  you  ever  noticed  how  seldom  you 
see  a “ successful  ” old  man  with  a sweet, 
beautiful  face  ? He  has  either  the  keen, 
secretive  phiz  of  a fox,  the  sharp,  dangerous 
expression  of  the  wolf,  or  the  brow-beating, 
terrorizing  look  of  a bull-dog.  You  treat 
him  respectfully,  because  he  holds  the  purse- 
strings with  a stout  grip ; and,  as  you  whisper 
in  the  ear  of  your  fiiend,  you  must  keep  the 


84  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

right  side  of  tire  old  codger;  but  you  are 
ahvays  relieved  when  he  nods  you  out  of  the 
office.  Look  in  the  glass  and  imagine  your- 
self at  sixty  carrying  about  such  a face  as 
that ! 

He  is  a self-made  man,  he  says,  with  a 
significant  look  toward  his  safe ; and  you 
wonder  at  his  complacency  over  such  a disa- 
greeable piece  of  work.  He  may  wax  con- 
fidential, and  tell  you  how  he  got  his  start, 
and  how  he  got  ahead  of  So-and-So  in  such- 
and-such  a race,  and  you  cannot  help  think- 
ing that,  after  all,  the  result  has  hardly  paid 
for  the  trouble.  He  is  a church  member,  and 
is  conspicuous  on  all  important  occasions ; 
hut  he  is  the  last  one  to  whom  you  would  go 
to  be  shown  how  to  get  near  the  Lord.  You 
would  as  soon  think  of  consulting  the  ledger 
or  the  daily  paper  to  find  the  Avay  of  life,  as 
to  ask  him  about  it.  He  is  poor,  but  not  in 
spirit;  for  he  has  been  made  to  think  that 
he  does  pretty  well  if  he  pays  more  to  the 
church  than  others  do;  albeit,  they  give 


TOUK  OWN  WAY  TO  IVrAKE. 


85 


relatively  ten  times  more  than  he  does ; so  he 
is  wretchedly  poor,  spiritually. 

You  have  your  own  way  to  make,  and 
perhaps  I can  give  you  a few  suggestions 
that  will  be  helpful.  I would  say  in  the 
outset,  take  an  objective  view  of  yourself, 
and  decide  what  you  had  better  be  and  do. 
Too  many  drift  with  the  current,  borne  tliis 
way  or  that,  by  the  strongest  influence  that 
strikes  them,  instead  of  finding  the  thing  to 
which  they  are  best  adapted,  and  aiming  at 
excellence  in  that  line.  By  the  time  tliey 
are  thirty  they  can  do  several  things  passably 
well,  but  they  excel  in  nothing,  and  they 
settle  down  into  the  mass  of  the  mediocre. 
They  remind  one  of  a certain  old  Atlantic 
Monthly  article  of  which  I remember  only 
the  title,  “ Concerning  people  of  whom  more 
might  have  been  made.”  These  “ might 
have  beens  ” are  not  a comfortable  or  happ}^ 
set  of  people.  They  are  the  driftwood  of 
society,  and  we  are  continually  thinking 
that  they  are  faihng  to  meet  the  purpose  of 
their  existence. 


86  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

In  making  a plan  of  your  life,  suppose  you 
lay  it  off  in  sections  of  twenty  years  each. 
The  first  section  is  probably  behind  you. 
The  first  quarter  of  it,  the  main  business 
seemed  to  be  to  develop  your  legs  and  lungs. 
The  second  quarter  you  were  running  hither 
and  thither  on  your  uncertain  feet,  as  fancy 
or  whim  impelled  you,  picking  up  an  immense 
deal  of  information  about  the  me  and  the 
not-me ; the  chief  work  being  to  secure  a 
suitable  physical  outfit,  and  to  train  some- 
what your  five  senses.  Steps  had  already 
been  taken  toward  giving  the  little  animal  a 
systematic,  mental  drill,  and  teaching  him 
the  bounds  of  morality.  The  latter  half  of 
your  first  twenty  years  have  been  devoted 
largely  to  these  things  with  varying  success. 
You  can  read,  write,  and  speak  your  mother 
tongue  with  fluency;  and  you  have  dipped 
into  another  language  or  so.  You  have  a 
general  idea  of  the  rudiments  of  the  elemen- 
tary scisnces. 

Being  born  of  Christian  parents,  and 


YOUR  OWN  WAT  TO  MAKE.  87 

having  studied  the  Bible  more  or  less,  you 
have  an  invaluable  frame-work  of  character 
in  the  way  of  moral  principles,  infinitely 
better  than  it  was  possible  for  Zoroaster, 
Aristotle,  Socrates,  or  even  “ the  divine 
Plato  ” to  attempt.  ^The  ten  commandments 
have  been  mortised  into  your  life ; and  you 
could  not  do  a false  or  dishonest  thing  with- 
out laying  violent  hands  on  your  convictions.^ 

The  second  section,  from  twenty  to  forty, 
will  be  the  active,  up-hill  part  of  the  way. 
You  must  plan  it  carefully.  The  third  section, 
from  forty  to  sixty,  will  be  your  harvest 
years.  If  by  reason  of  strength  you  reach 
fourscore,  from  sixty  to  eighty  you  ought  to 
have  the  broadest  usefulness,  and  the  most 
complete  and  restful  enjoyment. 

In  choosing  your  line  of  work,  you  need 
special  Divine  guidance.  You  cannot  trust 
yourself  to  find  the  way  alone.  When 
Thales  was  asked,  “What  is  the  hardest 
thing  in  the  world?”  his  reply  was,  “To 
know  thyself.”  If  the  old  philosopher  found 


88  FEOM"  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

self-knowledge  so  difficult,  how  dares  an  un- 
trained boy  claim  to  know  his  own  ability 
and  adaptability  so  as  to  take  the  helm  of 
self-direction? 

The  judgment  of  your  friends  can  no  more 
be  trusted  than  your  own.  Was  it  Holmes 
who  said  that  every  calf  that  bleats  in  the 
meadow  is  a genuine  Osiris  to  its  dam  ? 
None  but  God  knows  what  you  are  meant 
for ; and  your  only  hope  for  a successful  life 
is  to  find  and  work  to  His  plan.  If  you  fall 
below  that,  you  will  always  have  a sense  of 
incompleteness  and  dissatisfaction.  If  you 
aspire  above  it,  failure  is  inevitable.  ,,No 
matter  what  that  plan  may  be,  its  authorship 
is  your  patent  of  nobility.  ^ God’s  will  makes 
it  grand. 

Some  one  has  said  that  if  the  Lord  were 
to  send  an  angel  down  into  this  world  to 
sweep  the  street  crossings,  and  another  to 
rule  an  empire,  they  could  not  by  any  means 
be  induced  to  exchange.  The  work  of  the 
former  would  seem  to  him  as  noble  as  that 


YOTIR  OWN  WAT  TO  MANE. 


89 


of  the  latter,  because  it  had  as  certainly  tie 
stamp  of  the  Divine  approval. 

When  you  decide  to  take  God’s  plan  of 
your  life,  and  seek  with  implicit  trust  to  find 
it.  He  will  see  that  you  make  no  mistake. 
Put  your  hand  in  His,  and  He  will  guide  you 
where  He  wants  you  to  go.  He  has  promised 
to  lead  the  blind  in  paths  that  they  have  not 
known.  In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  Him, 
and  He  shall  direct  thy  paths.  This  is  as  cer- 
tainly true  in  temporal  as  in  spiritual  affairs. 
Bazaleel,  upon  whom  Moses  had  to  depend 
for  some  of  the  difficult  work  on  the  taber- 
nacle when  they  were  out  there  in  the  wilder- 
ness, was  wise-hearted  and  filled  with  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord;  and  God  taught  him  a 
half-dozen  different  trades^  If  our  Heavenly 
Father  did  that  once.  He  may  do  it  again. 
One  case  demonstrates  His  ability.  “ But 
that  was  a long  time  ago.”  There  are  no 
years  with  God.  ^ If  those  fugitives  from 
Egyptian  slavery,  away  back  there  in  the 
twilight  of  the  old  dispensation,  could  get 


90  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

near  enough  to  God  to  be  so  taught,  what 
may  we  not  hope  for  in  the  cumulative  light 
of  nineteen  Christian  centuries  ? . “ But  Baza- 
leel  had  a special  work  to  do.”  Yes;  and 
so  have  you,  if  you  are  in  God’s  hand  for 
service.  Quite  likely  it  is  not  a work  that 
will  set  a corps  ot  reporters  scribbling  every 
time  you  turn  round  ; but  it  is  one  that  will 
be  forever  unwrought  unless  you  set  your 
hand  to  its  accomplishment.  Your  failure  to 
find  and  do  it,  will  mar  by  just  so  much, 
God’s  perfect  plan.  Your  success  will  add 
just  so  much  to  His  glory. 

The  majority  of  my  class  of  twenty  thous- 
sand  have  failed  to  secure  a liberal  educa- 
tion. You  who  are  of  that  number,  have 
given  up  “going  through  college,”  and  you 
are  obliged  to  turn  your  attention  to  the 
question  of  getting  your  own  living.  The 
time  for  the  brealdng  up  of  the  old  home 
seems  to  be  drawing  near.  The  dear  circle 
will  not  hold  together  much  longer.  Older 
brothers  and  sisters  are  marrying  off  and 


YOUE  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE. 


91 


making  homes  of  their  own,  and  you  cannot 
help  thinking  of  a similar  future.  You  must 
go  to  work  in  earnest  to  establish  yourself  in 
the  line  that  has  been  marked  out  for  you. 

In  the  very  outset  you  must  form  a habit 
of  industry.  Be  diligent  in  business.  Dili- 
gence is  from  the  Latin,  “ diligentia’’’ ; that  is 
from  the  verb  “ diligo^’’  to  love  earnestly,  and 
that  is  from  di  and  lego,  to  choose.  So  the 
command,  “ Be  diligent,”  means  that  you  are 
to  choose  and  love  earnestly  what  you  believe 
God  wants  you  to  do.  What  your  hand  finds 
to  do,  is  to  be  done  heartily,  as  unto  the 
Lord.  Do  hot  go  to  your  work  with  a hang- 
dog look  or  feeling,  nor  take  hold  of  it  in  a 
gingerly  way,  as  if  you  felt  above  it ; but 
carry  it  bravely  and  gladly  because  you 
choose  to  do  what  is  given  you,  with  your 
might. 

Make  up  your  mind  that  you  are  not  going 
to  succeed  without  hard  work.  No  matter  if 
you  do  not  love  it  naturally,  be  determined 
that  you  will  not  shirk  it,  but  you  will  bear 


92  FEOJf  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

jour  full  part  manfully.  The  one  who  wins 
is  he  who  prepares  most  carefully  for  his 
work,  does  it  most  thorouglily,  holding  him- 
self steadily  in  hand,  and  who  keeps  on  after 
the  rest  have  given  out  and  given  up. 

Perhaps  you  have  that  “ fatal  facility  of 
speech  ” that  makes  you  think  you  might  dis- 
tinguish yoiu’self  in  some  avocation  where 
talk  seems  to  be  the  stock  in  trade.  Easy 
speaking  and  shallow  thinking  usually  go  to- 
gether. Cjt  is  only  the  deep,  sure,  strong 
thought,  that  takes  the  prize.  Surface  talents 
are  usually  like  fool’s  gold,  glittering  and 
valueless^  Remember  to  make  haste  slowly. 

In  Rome,  where  they  build  for  the  centu- 
ries, they  dig  down  to  the  living  rock  to  lay 
the  base-stones  of  their  palaces.  The  foun- 
dation is  sometimes  the  most  expensive  part 
of  the  building. 

You  would  not  build  a pyramid  apex  down- 

I 

ward.  If  you  lay  carelessly  or  narrowly  the 
foundation  of  your  character  or  your  fortune, 
it  will  topple  over  in  the  first  hurricane. 


YOUE  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE.  93 

You  want  to  form  a habit  of  working  tire- 
lessly, faithfully,  undiscouragedly.  Grant 
said  of  himself  at  Shiloh,  “ I thought  I was 
going  to  fail,  but  I kept  right  on.”  To  form 
a habit  of  keeping  right  on  will  be  worth 
everytliing  to  you. 

Ninety-five  per  eent.  of  business  men  fail. 
You  are  trying  for  the  twentieth  chance,  the 
one  that  succeeds.  If  you  secure  it,  it  will 
not  be  from  good  luck,  but  by  God’s  blessing 
upon  honest,  faithful,  persistent,  hard  work. 

You  must  see  to  it  that  you  form  exact 
business  habits.  Learn  to  be  prompt  in  keep- 
ing your  engagements.  Your  time  and  that 
of  the  few  people  with  whom  you  are  associ- 
ated, may  not  be  worth  much  now,  but  by  and 
by,  if  you  get  on  as  you  hope  to  do,  you  will 
have  business  with  those  who  can  earn  five, 
ten,  fifteen  dollars  an  hour.  Suppose  you 
keep  six  of  them  waiting  fifteen  minutes ; 
you  were  needed  to  make  a quorum,  or  to 
complete  some  transaction.  You  have  wasted 
an  hour  and  a half  of  expensive  time,  besides 


94  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

taking  the  risk  of  the  strain  on  their  temper, 
and  their  confidence  in  your  reliability.  Let 
it  be  understood  that  when  you  say  you  will 
be  at  a given  place,  at  a given  hour,  you  can 
be  depended  upon  to  appear  at  least  a half 
minute  before  the  time.  Hold  your  business 
so  in  hand  that  you  can  make  definite  prom- 
ises with  a fair  prospect  of  being  able  to  keep 
them.  Never  attempt  so  much  that  you  are 
unable  to  make  good  your  word,  and  so  get  a 
reputation  for  unreliability.  When  monetary 
cyclones  sweep  over  the  land,  it  will  be  worth 
thousands  to  you,  if  good,  solid  business  men, 
can  say  of  you,  “ He  will  do  as  he  says. 
His  word  can  be  taken  for  any  amount  that 
he  promises.” 

After  all,  no  matter  how  much  money  you 
make,  nor  how  many  friends  you  seem  to 
have,  unless  you  are  so  honest  that  you  are 
not  afraid  to  have  God  inspect  your  books,  you 
are  an  unmitigated  failure.  In^  other  words, 
there  is  no  success  worth  the  name  except 
tliat  which  strikes  root  in  moral  probity. 


YOUR  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE.  95 

The  Bible  says,  “ The  just  man  walketh  in 
his  integrity.”  That  sturdy  word  is  from 
the  Latin,  meaning  untouched.  It  is  first 
cousin  to  tlie  mathematical  term,  integer,  a 
whole,  or  unbroken  number.  There  must  be 
a wholeness  of  your  obedience  to  the  right, 
yonr  loyalty  to  conscience,  even  when  the 
currents  are  heavy,  and  strong  enough  to 
sweep  most  men  from  their  moorings. 

There  is  a system  of  false  weights  and 
measures  in  use  in  the  world.  People  are 
marked  not  at  what  they  are,  but  at  what 
they  possess.  Whatever  others  may  say  or 
do,  let  us  see  to  it  that  om  own  standards 
are  right.  Otherwise  we  are  not  sirre  that 
we  will  give  others  their  due.  Let  me  give 
you  a test  by  which  you  can  determine 
whether  or  not  you  have  the  true  standard  of 
values.  If  you  find  yourself  hanging  your 
head  for  honest  poverty,  if  you  are  ashamed  of 
the  plainness  of  your  dress,  the  awkwardness 
of  your  manners,  or  the  lack  of  polish  in  your 
speech,  you  may  be  sure  that  you  need  to 


96  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 


correct  your  table  of  values.  Unless  you 
see  the  nobility  of  a soul  in  alliance  with 
God,  and  respect  yourself  so  much  as  to  be 
independent  of  slights  and  snubs,  the  proba- 
bility is  that  you  would  be  haughty  and 
supercilious,  if  a change  in  affairs  gave  you 
the  opportunity  to  lord  it  over  others. 

The  higher  English  nobility,  with  their 
miles  of  elegant  domain,  their  castles  and 
palaces,  are  not  half  so  lofty  in  bearing,  nor 
so  exclusive,  as  some  of  their  servants.  They 
are  so  assured  in  their  position,  that  they  can 
afford  to  be  simple  and  affable. 

Be  sure  from  the  first  to  plan  your  business 
so  as  to  save  time  for  the  care  of  your  body 
and  the  culture  of  your  mind  and  soul,  ^f 
what  use  would  it  be  for  you  to  find  your- 
self rich  at  fifty,  but  with  broken  health, 
your  mind  cramped  to  a knowledge  of  your 
ledger  and  prices  current,  and  your  soul  so 
dwarfed  that  if  it  could  get  into  heaven  at 
all,  it  would  be  a pitiful  little  weazen  thing 
fit  only  for  the  lowest  place  and  the  narrowest 


enjoyment. 


YOUR  OWN  WAY  TO  MAKE. 


97 


Above  all,  remember  that  it  is  the  blessing 
of  God  that  maketh  rich,  and  addeth  no 
sorrow. 

You  must  not  forget  the  claims  of  benevo- 
lence. The  only  safe  plan  is  to  give  by  rule. 
A tenth  is  the  Scriptural  percentage. 

You  win  find  a rigid  system  of  giving  to 
be  economical.  You  will  have  to  manage 
carefully  each  piece  of  property  that  comes 
into  your  hands,  so  that  you  may  know  its 
annual  profit,  in  order  to  be  sure  that  you 
give  your  tenth.  This  will  keep  you  from 
the  slip-shod  financiering  that  is  the  cause  of 
most  of  the  financial  failures. 

God  must  have  control  of  your  business, 
not  only  in  its  principles  and  management, 
but  in  the  amount  of  pressure  you  will  permit 
to  come  on  you  to  crowd  you  to  greater 
effort. 

A young  business  man  who  had  done  un- 
usual things  in  the  way  of  Christian  work 
and  giving,  was  asked  his  rule  in  this  matter. 
In  reply  he  showed  a note  in  his  memoran- 


98  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

dum  book  that  read  over  a given  date,  “ From 
this  time  I will  make  the  service  of  God 
my  business,  and  do  business  only  to  pay  ex- 
penses.” 


CHAPTER  VI. 


HIGH. 


The  rich  young  men  have  read  what  I 
have  said  to  the  poor  about  the  uncertainties 
and  dangers  of  having  wealth ; yet  there  are 
other  risks  of  which  I wish  to  speak. 

Wealth  gives  opportunity  for  the  best  cul- 
ture, and  that  represents  power  to  do  good. 
Money  buys  leisure,  books,  and  travel,  all  of 
which  add  to  personal  influence.  Power  in- 
creases obligation.  If  one  knows  of  another’s 
need,  and  has  the  ability  to  help,  he  is  culpa- 
ble if  he  fails  to  meet  the  obligation. 

The  world  is  perishing.  Thousands  suffer 


1 our  money  might  give  shelter  to  the  home- 
less, medicine  to  the  sick,  all  manner  of  com- 


99 


100  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE, 

forts  to  the  neglected  poor,  books  and  teach- 
ers to  the  ignorant,  and  missionaries  to  the 
abandoned.  If  you  spend  it  on  your  own 
pleasures  and  leave  them  to  perish,  their  blood 
may  be  required  at  your  hand. 

Woe  betide  the  soul  on  which  rests  the 
curse  of  unwrought  good ! There  is  no 
“might  have  been”  more  unutterably  and 
fatefully  sad.  The  hungry  eyes  of  the  un- 
helped will  glare  throughout  eternity  on  the 
one  who  might  have  been  their  benefactor. 
He  never  can  escape  their  reproaches.  The 
rich  man  in  hell  did  not  want  his  five  broth- 
ers to  come  to  that  place  of  torment ; for  he 
knew  that  liis  wealth,  morality,  and  conse- 
quent influence,  might  have  led  them  to  the 
Lord  for  salvation.  With  his  characteristic 
selfishness  he  wanted  to  be  spared  the  lash  of 
their  terrible  upbraidings. 

There  is  great  danger  that  the  rich  will  fail 
in  self-denial.  Christ’s  plan  for  saving  peo- 
ple begins  with  the  thrusting  out  of  self,  and 
leads  to  a crucifixion.  It  was  founded  in 


4 


EICH.  101 

sacrifice.  Self-giving  is  its  most  cliaracteris- 
tic  expression.  The  rich  have  special  temp- 
tations to  go  in  the  opposite  direction.  The 
world  has  its  wares  in  the  market.  The  rich 
are  its  best  customers  ; and  it  spares  no  pains 
or  ingenuity  to  get  their  money  for  its  prod- 
ucts. One  who  carries  a full  purse  is  tempt- 
ed on  every  hand  to  purchase  tilings  that  ap- 
peal to  the  five  senses  ; and  it  is  easy  to  form 
a habit  of  self-gratification,  and  consequent 
indifference  to  the  wants  of  others.  Self-de- 
nial, always  a difficult  grace,  becomes  harder 
when  self  is  thus  pampered. 

Covetousness  is  cardinal  fault  even  with 
Christians.  One  of  the  twelve,  though  serv- 
ing a Master  who  was  dependent  for  His  dai- 
ly support  upon  the  charity  of  women  who 
risked  all  to  become  His  followers,  — one  of 
the  little  body-guard  fell,  through  this  sin, 
and  went  to  his  own  place  by  suicide.  Few 
are  exempt  from  this  temptation ; but  the 
rich  are  in  more  danger  than  the  poor.  The 
tendency  of  possession  is  to  increase  the  love 


102  TKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

of  gain.  This  is  an  insidious  vice,  and  it  will 
steal  over  you  like  the  poison  of  malari^ 
You  may  not  be  able  to  tell  just  when  it  first 
touches  you;  but  unless  you  are  divinely 
guarded,  you  will  yield  to  its  power  when 
riches  increase,  as  certainly  as  a stranger  who 
sleeps  on  the  Roman  Campagna  succumbs  to 
malaria. 

Wliile  the  young  are  in  less  danger  than 
those  of  mature  years,  yet,  as  in  most  phys- 
ical diseases,  probably  the  trouble  begins  in 
the  careless  habits  of  youth.  At  any  rate, 
systematic  giving  is  a safeguard. 

You  will  find  it  harder  to  give  a tenth  of 
your  income  than  you  would  if  you  were 
poor.  It  ought  to  be  easier,  for  the  remain- 
ing nine-tenths  are  a far  more  ample  support 
than  they  would  be  if  the  income  were  small. 
If  one  has  a salary  of  a thousand  a year,  and 
gives  a hundred  dollars,  he  has  only  nine  hun- 
dred left  for  his  living ; but  if  his  income  is 
ten  thousand  a year,  he  has  nine  thousand 
left  for  himself.  His  thousand  looks  large. 


EICH. 


103 


but  it  represents  really  less  sacrifice  than  the 
poor  man’s  hundred.  Some,  indeed,  I fear 
many,  who  begin  by  giving  liberally,  draw 
back,  and  give  less  proportionately  with  the 
Increase  of  wealth,  because  the  sums  begin 
to  look  large,  and  are  beyond  the  average  be- 
nevolence of  well-to-do  people.  I remember 
a man  during  the  war,  who  owned  a miU  that 
produced  an  article  which  came  suddenly  in- 
to great  demand  in  the  army.  He  had  prom- 
ised to  give  the  Lord  a tenth  of  his  profits ; 
but  when  he  found  that  he  would  clear  thir- 
ty thousand  dollars  that  year,  it  seemed  quite 
too  much  to  count  out  three  thousand  for  be- 
nevolence. He  broke  his  vow.  Within  a 
few  days  his  mill  was  in  ashes ; and  before  it 
could  be  re-built,  the  special  demand  had  cre- 
ated its  own  supply,  and  so  cut  down  his 
pi  ofits  to  the  usual  rates.  When  you  make 
up  your  mind  that  it  is  safe  and  right  to  give 
a tenth  to  the  Lord’s  work,  let  the  decision 
be  made  for  life.  Regard  it  as  a debt,  and 
attend  to  its  payment  as  rigidly  and  conscien- 
tiously as  you  do  to  that  of  any  other. 


104  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

Another  temptation  to  covetousness  comes 
from  the  fact  that  the  increase  of  wealth  be- 
comes more  rapid,  proportionately,  as  its 
amount  increases.  One  can  invest  ten  thou- 
sand more  easily,  to  better  advantage,  and 
with  hope  of  larger  gain  than  he  can  one 
thousand.  It  is  true,  also,  that  with  added 
increase  of  importance  from  ownership,  there 
is  a rising  ratio  of  increase  in  the  desire  for 
gain. 

There  is  something  decidedly  attractive  in 
becoming  a bank  president,  a railroad  mon- 
arch, a money  Idng.  People  recognize  readily 
the  ability  to  grant  favors,  and  they  are  de- 
lighted to  reciprocate.  Do  you  remember 
some  lines  in  one  of  our  old  school-readers 
that  ran  something  like  this : — 

“So  goes  the  world  ; if  you  are  wealthy, 

You  may  call 
This,  friend,  that,  brother. 

Friends  and  brothers,  all.” 

There  is  no  use  in  denying  that  this  is 
pleasant  and  engrossing.  One  is  not  in  con- 


RICH. 


105 


dition  to  see  how  empty  and  hollow  it  is,  till 
the  money  takes  wings,  as  it  has  an  awkward 
habit  of  doing.  ^ These  delicate  flatteries  and 
attentions  are  like  exquisite  music.  They 
drown  the  cry  of  the  needy.  Like  palace 
walls  and  broad,  beautiful  grounds,  they  shut 
out  the  ghastly  eyes  of  the  starving.  They 
hide,  as  under  a bank  of  bloom,  the  chain 
that  binds  together  all  sinning,  suffering  hu- 
man souls.  They  cannot  sever  that  chain, 
for  it  is  as  unbreakable  as  that  which  holds 
the  planets  in  their  orbits,  as  tireless  as  gravi- 
tation, as  relentless  as  destiny.  \ 

As  the  years  go  by  you  may  "lose  the  fresh- 
ness and  tenderness  of  youth ; you  may  be- 
come worn  and  hlase  with  the  round  of 
pleasures  purchased  by  your  wealth,  and  the 
added  cares  from  its  increase.  You  will  dis- 
like to  be  bored  with  tiresome  stories  and 
petty  complaints.  Gradually  others  will 
come  between  you  and  the  poor  with  whom 
you  might  come  in  contact,  those  whom  you 
employ.  You  do  not  mean  to  be  hard  and 


106  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

unfeeling,  but  abuses  grow  up  into  which  it  is 
not  convenient  nor  agreeable  for  you  to  look. 
Subordinates  will  make  everything  appear 
smooth  and  plausible,  but  God  will  hear  the 
sighing  of  the  needy,  and  you  will  be  the  one 
whom  He  will  hold  responsible.  Upon  you 
will  come  the  woe. 

When  the  rich  young  ruler  ran  through 
the  crowd  and  threw  himself  down  before  the 
carpenter’s  son,  asking  to  be  taught  the  way 

Iof  life,  our  Lord  saw  {that  there  were  no 
hoof-marks  of  vice  on  his  face^  In  that  dis- 
solute land  and  time,  amid  all  the  temptations 
that  wealth  brings,  and  the  sins  that  its  pos- 
session makes  people  condone,  that  young 
man  could  lift  a clear,  steady  eye,  to  the 
Teacher,  and  respond  to  His  question  about 
the  commandments.  “ All  these  have  I kept 
from  my  youth  up.”  Jesus  loved  him,  for 
He  saw  in  him  the  basis  of  a strong,  noble, 
Christian  character.  He  saw,  also,  that  a se- 
cret, hidden  selfishness,  that  most  obscure  and  - 
unyielding  disease,  had  taken  possession  of 


HIGH. 


107 


tlie  soul  of  the  young  ruler.  In  Ms  child- 
hood he  had  been  flattered  and  fawned  upon, 
till  he  had  come  to  believe  himself  better 
than  the  common  herd.  “ I belong  to  anoth- 
er grade  of  human  beings.  Of  course  I 
will  be  kind  and  helpful,  and  give  sometliing 
of  my  surplus  means  to  add  to  their  comfort, 
but  as  to  giving  myself  to  them  in  any  sense, 
why,  that  is  not  to  be  thought  of.”  Christ 
saw  that  tMs  case  must  have  heroic  treatment, 
or  the  fine,  spiritual  young  fellow,  woMd 
grow  to  be  a grasping,  avaricious,  hard-heart- 
ed, iron-handed,  old  Jew,  with  a face  as  dry 
and  wrinkled  as  Ms  bonds,  and  as  yellow  as 
Ms  gold,  and  a nose  as  sharp  and  hooked  as 
the  beak  of  a bird  of  prey. 

Christ’s  command  for  him  to  sell  all  that 
he  had  and  give  to  the  poor,  touched  like  a 
lance  his  hidden,  deep-seated  selfishness. 
He  started  to  his  feet.  What ! give  up  all 
his  schemes  for  the  spread  and  improvement 
of  his  great  possessions ! Turn  his  grounds 
and  palaces,  his  wardrobes,  jewels,  articles  of 


108  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

\virtu^  all  over  to  others,  and  distribute  their 
value  among  the  leprous,  unwashed  poor, 
while  he  tramped  over  the  country  with 
this  pauper  Rabbi,  as  poverty-stricken  as  the 
poorest  of  those  whom  he  had  always  held  in 
contempt ! Surely  there  must  be  some  mis- 
take about  that.  There  certainly  ought  to  be 
some  way  for  him  to  secure  eternal  life,  bet- 
ter suited  to  his  rank  and  station,  than  this 
hard,  unconditional  surrender  of  all.  He 
turned  his  back  on  Christ,  and  walked  slow- 
ly away,  while  the  deep,  sad  eyes  of  the 
Master,  followed  him  lovingly.  He  knew 
how  that  innate  selfishness  would  ruin  him, 
here  and  hereafter ; and  his  only  chance  of 
salvation  was  in  breaking  every  tie  that  held 
him  to  his  old  life,  and  giving  himself  with- 
out stint  to  the  helping  of  others. 

Christ  required  of  him  simply  what  he 
asks  of  every  soul  that  He  saves.*  Only  so 
can  He  cure  the  cancer  of  self-love  and  trust. 
Only  on  those  terms  can  one  hope  for  useful- 
ness here,  and  life  beyond  the  grave. 


RICH. 


109 


Not  that  you  are  to  deed  your  property 
away  to  some  benevolent  institution,  while 
you  give  your  entire  time  to  the  service  and 
mstruction  of  the  poor ; but  you  are  to  hold 
it  simply  as  God’s  steward.  The  great 
change  is  in  your  spirit.  No  longer  owner, 
hut  steward,  ready  to  disburse  on  call  of  the 
real  owner.  You  are  to  say,  “ Henceforth  I 
will  hold  every  dollar  subject  to  the  Divine 
order,  paying  never  less  than  ten  per  cent,  of 
the  profits  — a light  interest,  surely  — into 
His  treasury.  I will  invest  as  carefully 
the  part  that  He  takes,  as  I do  what  He  leaves 
for  my  use.  I will  look  to  Him  for  direction 
in  the  management  of  it  all,  not  venturing  to 
spend  so  much  as  five  cents  without  a motive 
that  I dare  take  to  the  Judgment. 

“ More  than  that,  I will  give  the  poor  a 
sympathy  and  fellowship  that  is  worth  infi- 
nitely more  than  all  the  wealth  I can  bestow 
on  them.  As  Christ  came  down  out  of 
Heaven,  making  Himself  one  of  us  that  He 


110  PROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

might  save  us,  I will  take  upon  my  heart 
the  troubles  of  the  poor,  giving  my  very  self 
for  their  salvation  and  help.” 


CHAPTER  VII. 


IN  BUSINESS.  , 

I HAVE  already  had  occasion  to  tell  you 
that  only  five  per  cent,  of  business  men  es- 
cape failure.  Many,  with  a feeble  sort  of  fa- 
talism, blame  their  luck  when  things  go 
wrong  with  them.  They  flatter  themselves 
that  it  is  no  fault  of  theirs  that  they  do  not 
get  on  better.  “ A.  is  a lucky  dog.  He  was 
born  with  a silver  spoon  in  his  mouth ; but  I 
— somehow  things  always  go  against  me.” 
Now  the  real  luck  that  brings  success 
comes  from  the  skillful  management  of  well- 
invested  capital. 

“ Capital ! ” you  exclaim ; “ I have  no 
great  capital  to  invest  or  manage.” 

The  cash,  stocks,  and  real  estate  that  you 
have  on  hand,  are  the  least  important  part  of 

111 


112  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

yolir  capital.  Tlie  assessor  has  no  scheme 
for  noting  the  items  that  are  most  valuable, 
and  that  go  furthest  toward  building  up  a 
good  business.  I have  already  touched  upon 
some  of  them, — probity,  promptness,  benevo- 
lence, and  a careful  choice  of  the  line  to 
which  you  mean  to  give  your  life.  Let  me 
be  a little  more  definite.  If  you  expect  to 
make  a fortune,  you  must  choose  a business 
that  can  grow.  There  are  some  lines  of 
which  even  Napoleon  Bonaparte  could  not 
make  much,  for  there  is  in  them  no  expan- 
siveness. If  you  find  yourself  in  one  of 
those  little  island  cages,  and  believe  it  is  the 
place  you  are  meant  for,  go  on  and  do  your 
best,  but  do  not  expect  to  become  a great 
land  owner.  The  land  is  not  there  for  any- 
body. You  can  keep  your  httle  island  “ trig 
and  neat ; you  may  be  as  contented  with  it 
as  was  Cincinnatus  with  his  plow,  or  Xim- 
enes  with  his  books,  when  he  was  running 
away  from  Isabella’s  attempt  to  make  him 
Primate  of  Spain V but  you  will  have  to  let 


IN  BUSINESS. 


113 


the  busy,  outside  world,  manage  the  greater 
general  interests. 

If  your  business  has  in  it  the  possibility  of 
growth,  you  must  study  the  laws  of  that 
growth.  Do  not  look  for  any  fortunate  ven- 
ture that  shall  give  you  a sudden  tilt  toward 
success.  Understand  that  they  only  achieve 
permanent  prosperity,  who  work  by  the  im- 
mutable laws  that  underlie  any  development. 
Emerson  says,  “ Hitch  your  wagon  to  a star,” 
which  means  in  plain  English,  find  the  forces 
that  God  has  ordained,  and  set  at  work,  and 
move  ill  harmony  with  them. 

Get  also  a knowledge  of  all  the  details  of 
your  business.  You  must  be  willing  to  sit 
on  the  shoemaker’s  bench,  and  pound  pegs,  if 
you  want  to  come  out  a safe  and  respectable 
shoe  merchant.  Learn  the  business  from 
bottom  to  top. 

Two  men  begin  trade  in  that  line  in  equally 
favorable  localities,  with  about  the  same  cap- 
ital ; the  stock  of  one  as  well  selected  as  that 
of  the  other,  and  their  clerks  of  about  the 


114  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

same  grade  of  honesty  and  ability.  One  has 
worked  his  way  up  from  the  bench ; the  other 
has  little  practical  knowledge  of  that  branch 
of  trade.  The  former  knows  a piece  of 
leather  so  thoroughly  that  no  polish  can  hide 
its  defects.  He  knows  what  goods  will  hear 
to  be  pushed,  and  Avhich  must  he  recom- 
mended with  the  rising  inflection.  The  other 
has  to  depend  upon  the  knovdedge  of  others 
in  keeping  up  his  stock,  and  in  urging  it  upon 
liis  customers.  It  takes  no  prophet  to  fore- 
tell the  future  of  the  two  houses.  One 
builds  up  a good  trade.  The  other  has  one 
piece  of  bad  hick  after  another,  — which 
means  that  he  blunders  for  lack  of  knowledge  ; 
till  he  finds  himself  on  the  down  grade,  and 
bankruptcy  is  inevitable. 

Another  item  of  your  capital  may  he  thor- 
oughness. One  may  know  how  to  do  a given 
thing,  and  yet  be  too  careless,  indolent,  or 
divided  in  his  attention,  to  use  his  knowledge. 
The  successful  dealer  sees  to  it  that  every 
order  that  goes  out  of  his  house  is  filled  so 


IN  BUSINESS. 


115 


as  to  please  the  customer,  if  possible.  There 
must  he  no  slackness,  no  carelessness,  no 
leaving  of  loose  ravelling  ends.  Every  part 
of  the  work  must  be  done  conscientiously, 
and  so  as  to  stand  wear.  Your  business  must 
not  only  be  managed  with  a complete  know- 
ledge of  its  details,  but  with  thoroughness  in 
its  execution.  It  wiU  add  to  the  permanency 
of  your  profits  when  it  comes  to  be  Imown 
that  you  are  always  truthful  and  rehable, 
your  goods  are  always  what  they  are  repre- 
sented to  be. 

In  the  rush  and  hurry  of  a large  town, 
there  is  a great  tendency  to  be  crowded  into 
careless  and  indifferent  habits.  Workmen 
are  apt  to  promise  more  work  than  it  is 
possible  for  them  to  finish  in  a given  time. 
In  Ms  anxiety  to  get  on,  and  do  as  much  as 
he  can,  each  overrates  his  own  ability.  He 
meant  to  have  the  article  done  when  he 
promised,  but  he  was  obliged  to  let  one  tlfing 
lap  over  the  time  of  another,  till  some  of  his 
work  was  crowded  into  time  quite  beyond 


116  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

the  limit  of  the  customers’  patience.  So  it 
has  come  to  pass  that  promises  are  of  but 
little  value.  They  are  not  worth  their  face. 
Monday  has  come  to  mean  about  Wednesday, 
if  not  later.  The  article  that  was  promised 
for  Saturday  will  be  sent  around  Tuesday 
noon.  If  your  house  was  to  be  ready  for 
occupancy  by  the  first  of  May,  you  may  be 
thankful  if  you  are  able  to  move  in  the  first 
of  June.  There  is  no  lack  of  excuses,  to  be 
sure.  The  carpenters  failed  to  get  out  of 
the  way  of  the  plasterers,  who,  in  turn,  lapped 
over  upon  the  contract  of  the  paper-hangers ; 
and  threw  the  painters  out  so  far  that  they 
began  another  job  that  was  urgent,  and  that 
could  not  be  left  after  it  had  been  begun. 
While  you  are  living  on  promises  in  a board- 
ing house  during  the  live-long  month  of 
May,  your  goods  in  boxes,  your  plans  for  the 
summer  all  thrown  out  of  line,  you  can’t  help 
wishing  that  you  had  found  an  architect  who 
could  plan  his  business  so  thoroughly  that  all 
his  pledges  did  not  require  thirty-days  grace. 


rtr  BUSINESS. 


117 


You  could  have  afforded  to  pay  an  extra 
hundred  dollars  for  such  a marvel  of  relia- 
bility. 

Having  learned  one  business  thoroughly,  do 
not  throw  all  that  knowledge  into  the  waste 
basket,  and  begin  upon  another,  unless  you 
are  sure  the  first  effort  was  all  a mistake,  or 
the  second  offers  extraordinary  advantages. 
You  remember  the  old  adage  about  the 
rolling  stone.  The  English  member  of  the 
Rothschild  banking  house  said  to  some  young 
business  men,  “ Make  up  your  mind  what 
you  are  going  to  do,  and  then  stick  to  it, 
through  thick  and  thin.  If  you  are  a banker, 
be  that  and  nothing  else.  You  cannot  know 
thoroughly  more  than  one  thing.” 

There  is  an  atmosphere  about  every  busi- 
ness, which  can  be  mastered  only  by  years  of 
attention.  It  is  as  much  more  essential  to 
success  than  the  common  details,  as  it  is  more 
difficult  to  acquire. 

Glass  blowers  will  not  attempt  to  teach 
any  one  their  business,  unless  he  has  been  in 


118  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

it  from  childhood.  We  were  in  the  steel- 
rail  mills  one  day,  looking  at  the  cauldrons 
of  melted  metal.  The  man  in  charge  had 
told  us,,  that  there  was  an  exact  moment 
when  they  must  be  taken  from  the  fire.  A 
little  mistake  in  time,  taking  them  off  too 
soon,  or  leaving  them  on  too  long,  would 
make  them  faulty.  “ How  do  you  know  that 
exact  point  ” ? we  asked.  “ Why,  I know  by 
the  way  it  looks.”  “But  how  does  it  look 
when  it  is  ready  to  come  off?  How  does  it 
differ  from  what  it  was  the  moment  before, 
and  from  what  it  will  be  the  moment  after?” 
“ I can’t  tell  you.  I only  know  that  there 
is  a difference  that  is  plain  enough  to  me ; 
but  I have  been  years  and  years  learning  it.” 
No  other  man  about  the  establishment  had 
that  knowledge,  that  had  come  to  be  almost 
a sixth  sense.  It  made  him  so  necessary  to 
the  business,  that  he  could  demand  any 
wages  that  were  at  all  reasonable.  It  would 
have  been  foolish  for  Inm  to  go  into  some- 
thing else  in  which  that  special  knowledge 


IK  BTJSIKESS. 


119 


would  have  been  of  no  use,  and  would  have 
had  no  value. 

Another  element  that  can  easily  be  brought 
into  your  business,  and  that  will  influence 
the  result  far  more  than  you  may  imagine,  is 
courteousness. 

\ Customers  are  not  always  the  wisest  and 
moot  thoughtful  people  in  the  world.  Indeed, 
to  tell  the  truth,  they  are  often  so  inconsider- 
ate and  provoking  as  to  make  it  difficult  for 
one  .;0  keep  from  giving  them  “ a piece  of  his 
mind.”  Yet  you  will  find  that  it  pays  always 
to  ]ye  patient  and  polite ; not  only  for  its 
effect  upon  yourself,  but  for  the  prosperity 
of  your  business.  If  you  allow  yourself  to 
be  a little  rough  and  short  with  those  who 
you  chink  deserve  to  be  plainly  dealt  with, 
you  will  surely  make  a mistake  now  and 
then,  and  be  quite  unjust  in  your  harshness. 
There  is  a book-store  where  I was  once 
treated  rudely ; and  I would  walk  a mile 
rather  than  stop  there  again,  and  take  the 
risk  of  a similar  discourtesy. 


120  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

The  safe  and  wise  way  is  to  be  attentive 
to  all,  no  matter  how  annoying  they  may  be. 
Besides,  the  command,  “ Be  courteous,”  is 
upon  all  Christians,  a rule  of  conduct  to 
which  no  exceptions  are  given. 

There  is  plenty  of  asperity  and  sourness 
in  the  world ; let  us  not  add  an  iota  to  its 
aggregate.  There  are  enough  with  bruised 
nerves,  and  hurt  spirits,  whom  we  may  help 
with  a land  word  or  even  a smUe.  Let  us 
proffer  that  cup  of  cold  water,  in  the  name 
of  our  Master,  no  matter  how  provoking  our 
customers  may  be.  That  man  who  tumbled 
your  goods  about  in  a nervous,  inconsiderate 
way,  finding  fault  with  everything,  especially 
the  prices,  did  not  confess  to  you  that  he  was 
out  nearly  all  night  hunting  for  his  reckless, 
drunken  boy.  If  he  had  done  so,  you  would 
have  paid  little  attention  to  his  rudeness. 
Give  him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  next  time. 
Always  be  courteous. 

1 There  is  one  difficult  book  that  you  must 


IK  BUSIKBSS. 


121 


study,  if  you  would  succeed.  You  have 
ample  opportunity.  Its  leaves  rustle  at  every 
breath.  It  is  even  within  you ; yet  so  many 
are  blinded  by  egotism,  and  occupied  with 
their  own  petty  affairs,  that  they  never  read 
aright  one  of  its  wonderful,  vital  pages. 
You  must  begin  at  once  to  study  human 
nature.  You  must  know  people.  The 
principles  that  govern  human  action  are  the 
same  the  world  over.  They  are  like  the 
axioms  of  any  science,  of  universal  applica- 
tion. Mungo  Park  found  motherly  pity  for 
the  sorrows  of  the  stranger  precisely  the 
same  among  African  savages,  that  he  had 
known  in  his  own  sweet  English  home. 
Find  out  the  laws  of  mind,  and  work  in 
harmony  with  them.  None  but  God  can 
suspend  or  annul  natural  law.  He  can  re- 
make what  He  made ; but  you  had  better  not 
attempt  it.  You  cannot  master  gravitation. 
It  will  out  live  or  outpuU  you.  And  so  also  of 
the  laws  that  govern  mind.  They  are  expres- 
sions of  a Will  that  you  cannot  conquer.  The 


122  FIIOM  rrPTEEK  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

wreck  of  many  a poor  fellow’s  life  echoes  with 
a hollow  moan  the  dying  cry  of  the  apostate, 
“ Thou  hast  conquered  at  last,  O Galilean  ! ” 
As  certainly  as  Christ  must  ultimately 
conquer.  His  laws  are  invincible.  So  you 
must  make  up  your  mind  to  work  in  harmony 
with  them  if  you  woidd  succeed.  If  you 
dash  yourself  against  them,  determined  to 
make  a path  through  them  at  your  own  sweet 
will,  you  will  certainly  fail._ 

Watch  yourself  when  you  are  trying  to 
bring  to  terms  a particularly  captious  and 
unmanageable  person.  How  carefully  you 
observe  every  turn  of  his  thought,  and  how 
skillfully  you  direct  it  to  the  points  most 
advantageous  for  your  case.  You  listen  to 
his  tiresome  twaddle,  as  if  it  were  quite 
Shaksperean.  You  laugh  at  his  stale  jokes 
in  a manner  altogether  satisfactory.  He  tells 
you  something  that  you  know  a great  deal 
better  than  he,  but  you  listen  as  though  it 
were  a marvellous  bit  of  news.  You  are  not 
playing  the  hyprocrite  either.  You  are  only 


ESr  BUSINESS. 


123 


trying  to  please  him  that  you  may  bring  him 
to  do  something  that  you  knew  he  ought  to 
do.  You  need  skill  in  managing  difficult 
people  in  any  department  of  effort.  You 
can  teach  properly  only  by  observing  the 
laws  of  mind,  and  working  in  harmony  with 
them.  ^You  may  pour  a wash  of  words  over 
the  minds  of  your  pupils,  so  absorbed  in  your 
own  enjoyment  of  what  you  are  saying,  that 
you  do  not  seem  to  know  or  care  whether  or 
not  they  really  take  in  one  thoughtA  Much 
pulpit  teaching  is  done  in  the  same  bungling 
manner.  You  cannot  lead  a soul  to  the 
Lord  unless  you  work  by  the  laws  that 
govern  its  action.  Some  good  people  who 
attempt  to  make  bargains,  impart  truth,  and 
help  sinners  to  Christ,  act  as  though  they 
thought  they  could  ride  rough-shod  over 
every  preference  or  prejudice.  What  they 
have  to  say  is  so  weighty,  what  they  have  to 
do  ought  so  certainly  to  be  done,  they  can 
but  demand  and  receive  attention.  Not  so  ; 
if  we  do  not  find  the  thoroughfares  by  winch 


124  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

thought  is  carried  into  the  mind,  we  waste 
our  time  trying  to  convey  truth  to  other 
people. 

Others  seeing  the  failure  of  those  who  are 
brusque,  abrupt,  and  assuming,  take  the 
opposite  extreme,  and  fawn,  and  smirk,  and 
overdo  the  amiable.  They  try  the  Machia- 
velian  policy ; and  if  they  do  not  tell  what 
is  untrue,  they  go  to  the  verge  of  fancy  with 
their  flatteries  and  sycophancy.  It  does  not 
take  long  for  people  of  sense  to  find  them 
out,  and  mark  them  at  their  real  value. 
Their  rates  of  discount  are  fixed  as  certainly 
as  is  that  of  the  paper  of  a house  that  is 
dropping  into  bankruptcy.  They  forfeit  their 
chance  of  doing  good  as  certainly  as  do  those 
who  have  careless  manners  and  indifferent 
skill. 

In  studying  human  nature,  it  may  be  well 
to  begin  with  the  one  most  directly  under 
your  eye, — yourself.  What  attitude  do  you 
assume  toward  an  abrupt,  good  man,  who 
attempts  to  teach  you  something  ? Do  you 


IK  BTJSIKESS. 


125 


see  how,  by  a natural  impulse  of  perverseness, 
you  rise  up  and  shut  to  the  door,  leaving 
him  to  batter  outside  ? What  right  has  he 
to  assume  to  dictate  to  you?  It  may  be  a 
good  thing  that  he  is  trying  to  crowd  upon 
your  attention,  but  you  are  not  going  to  have 
it  crowded  upon  you  in  that  rude  way.  Re- 
member that,  when  you  get  in  deadly  earnest 
to  make  somebody  do  a given  thing.  You 
may  defeat  your  bargain  or  your  lesson  as 
certainly  by  your  over  zeal  in  pushing  your 
point,  as  by  indolence  or  indifference. 

On  the  other  hand,  what  effect  does  it  have 
on  you  when  one  of  those  slippery,  slimy, 
snaky  people,  come  crawling  around?  Do 
you  not  draw  your  lips  together  and  button 
up  your  pockets  ? 

How  do  you  enjoy  a patronizing  air  in 
one  who  has  no  right  to  assume  toward  you 
the  endearing  relation  of  guardian?  You 
may  be  sure  that  a similar  course  of  conduct 
in  you  will  affect  others  similarly. 

Humanity  knows  itself  to  be  a king. 


126  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

though  dethroned  and  crownless ; and  it  will 
be  treated  with  respect.  A lady  who  under- 
stood this,  accidentally  pushed  a little  street 
Arab  off  the  sidewalk.  She  stopped  and 
apologized,  saying  she  hoped  she  had  not 
hurt  him.  He  stepped  back,  and  gave  his 
rimless  hat  a jerk.  “ My  eyes,  Jim ! ” he 
exclaimed,  turning  to  a boy  who  had  heard 
the  whole,  “ Ef  she  don’t  speak  to  me  jest 
like  I wore  standin’  collars  I A feller  could 
’ford  to  git  pushed  off  forty  times  a day,  to 
git  spoke  to  like  that  I ” 

You  discover  something  similar  in  yourself, 
and  you  may  set  it  down  simply  as  a human 
trait,  and  make  due  allowance  for  it  in  your 
transactions  with  people. 

Study  your  nearest  friends.  We  are  apt  to 
practice  upon  them  in  a manner  to  bring  out 
human  traits,  as  we  dare  not  do  with  stran- 
gers. Discovering  in  them  characteristics  sim- 
ilar to  our  own,  we  may  conclude  that  people 
outside  our  circle  are  made  of  the  same  st  iff. 

A railway  car  is  a good  place  to  study 


IN  BUSINESS. 


127 


cliaracter.  Wlien  people  tliink  tliey  are 
where  nobody  knows  them,  they  are  aj^t  to 
drop  their  masks,  and  show  their  real  selves. 
H.  H.  said,  “ Perhaps  the  saints  do  go  abroad 
sometimes,  but  I never  saw  one  behind  a rail- 
way locomotive.”  I have  seen  beautiful, 
saintly  acts  on  the  cars,  but  then,  I have 
travelled  a great  deal.  The  rule  is  that  peo- 
ple under  such  circumstances  resist  every 
petty  encroachment  upon  personal  preroga- 
tive as  doughtily  as  the  little  Greek  states 
used  to  do,  and  some  of  them  are  in  as  per- 
petual a state  of  warfare. 

I remember  a little  Frenchman  on  a train 
between  Florence  and  Rome,  whose  phiz  and 
fussiness  seemed  to  be  of  the  rat-terrier  order. 
We  were  in  a fumare  ” car;  but  in  the 

next  compartment,  which  was  separated  from 
our  own  by  a partition  that  lacked  a few 
inches  of  reaching  the  roof,  somebody  began  to 
puff  a cigar.  Instantly  our  little  Frenchman 
snuffed,  and  growled,  and  snapped  his  eyes 
in  small  fury,  subsiding  only  after  the  guard 


128  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

had  come  and  listened  to  his  bristling  com- 
plaint, and  had  duly  enjoined  the  offending 
smoker  to  stop  his  violation  of  train  etiquette. 
But  it  was  not  long  till  the  tiny,  blue  shreds 
of  smoke  were  curling  over  the  top  of  the 
partition  again,  and  touching  the  olfactories 
of  the  little  Frenchman.  Fizz!  Fuzz!  Bow- 
wow ! At  it  he  went  again,  and  that  bit  of 
history  repeated  itself  till  we  reached  the 
eternal  city;  though  in  all  probability  the 
irate  Francois  would  not  have  objected  to  a 
good  cigar  himself.  It  was  altogether  a war 
for  personal  prerogative ; a not  unusual  one 
everywhere. 

A few  months  of  teaching  a country  school 
will  give  you  some  good  lessons  in  human 
nature,  especially  if  you  have  to  “ board 
around.”  You  will  find  the  small  men  and 
women,  under  your  care,  manifesting  all  the 
traits  that  will  bother  and  foil  the  bargain- 
makers  and  preachers,  a score  of  years  hence. 

I believe,  after  all,  you  can  study  this 
strange  human  book  better  upon  youi'  knees 


m BUSINESS. 


129 


than  in  any  other  way.  You  can  learn  most 
rapidly  when  you  go  directly  to  Him  in  whom 
are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
knowledge,  for  He  has  promised  if  you  lack 
wisdom,  and  ask  of  Him,  to  give  liberally. 

The  crowning  element  of  business  success, 
is  faith  in  God.  He  that  believeth  need  not 
make  haste.  One  who  has  a clear,  calm, 
steady  faith  in  the  Lord,  is  in  condition  to  do 
his  best.  He  knows  that  while  he  stays  in 
God’s  hand,  and  uses  his  little  strength  to  the 
utmost,  he  will  be  guided  to  the  best  out- 
come. 

“He  always  wins  who  sides  with  God, 

To  him  no  chance  is  lost.” 

His  powers  of  body  and  mind  will  be  kept 
in  healthful  equipoise,  unworn  by  worry. 
After  a hard  days’  work  he  can  sleep  as 
soundly  as  if  nothing  depended  upon  his 
efforts. 

Napoleon  believed  in  his  destiny.  That 
was  a counterfeit  faith,  that,  for  awhile,  an- 
swered the  purpose  of  a genuine  trust  in 


130  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVB. 

God.  He  could  sleep  in  his  saddle,  in  the 
midst  of  the  din  and  danger  of  battle.  No 
doubt  those  little  naps  did  much  toward 
keeping  even  his  great  tough  brain  in  good 
working  order 

Faith  brings  into  the  solution  of  every 
problem  the  power  of  Infinity.  While  Ne- 
hemiah  was  asking  the  Persian  king  to  send 
his  Hebrew  captives  back  to  their  own  coun- 
try,— an  unheard-of  boldness  of  petition,  — 
he  knew  that  the  good  hand  of  his  God  was 
on  him,  and  his  request  waS  granted. 

You  may  set  down  your  capital  as  so  much 
muscular  vigor,  so  much  mental  training,  so 
much  spiritual  power,  a business  that  can 
grow,  knowledge  of  its  details,  thoroughness 
in  their  management,  reliability,  courteous- 
ness, knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  faith 
in  God:  and  it  would  seem  that  success  is 
assured.  You  can  say,  “ Jehovah  is  my 
strength.  He  will  make  my  feet  as  hinds’ 
feet.  Pie  will  make  me  to  walk  upon  mine 
high  places.” 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


OTJT  OF  BUSINESS. 

No  currents  are  more  uncertain  than  those 
o:E  the  monetary  world.  None  more  certain- 
ly illustrate  those  lines  of  Robbie  Burns 
about  the  “ best-laid  schemes  of  mice  and 
men.”  Enterprises  in  wliich  the  wisest  old 
heads  would  hardly  have  hesitated  to  guaran- 
tee a fortune,  are  left  high  and  dry  on  the 
rocks  to  go  to  pieces,  while  some  insignifi- 
cant scheme,  in  which  nobody  had  faith, 
comes  out  grandly. 

You  may  have  made  one  of  the  losing  ven 
tures.  Your  ship  may  have  struck  the  rocks. 
In  plain  Saxon,  the  business  you  were  trying 
to  build  up,  has  failed,  and  now  you  must 
join  the  innumerable  company  of  the  unem- 

131 


132  TEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

ployed,  and  look  about  till  you  find  some- 
thing els,^  to  do. 

Your  position  is  not  an  enviable  one, 
and  I will  be  glad  if  I may  make  a sugges- 
tion or  so  that  will  help  you  find  your  way 
out. 

First  ot  all,  nil  desperandum.  Your  nerves 
have  had  a severe  shock,  your  courage  a des- 
perate wrench ; but  while  there  is  life  there 
is  hope.  You  are  not  the  first  one  that  has 
been  tested  by  failure.  Some  who  have  been 
ultimately  most  successful  have  been  through 
that  ordeal  again  and  again.  So  of  all  things, 
do  not  lose  heart.  Stagger  to  your  feet,  and 
thank  God  it  is  no  worse.  You  need  not 
look  far  from  your  own  door  to  find  multi- 
tudes who  are  in  an  infinitely  sadder  condi- 
tion than  yourself. 

^Beware  of  that  drop  of  fatalism  that 
blames  the  luck  when  things  go  wrong.  Do 
not  let  it  narcotize  and  paralyze  further  effort’^ 
There  is  no  luck  about  it.  Somebody  blun- 
dered, and  He  who  chasteneth  whom  He 


OUT  OF  BUSINESS. 


133 


loveth,  and  scourgetli  every  son  whom  He 
receiveth,  permitted  the  blunder  to  spoil  your 
fine  plans,  that  He  might  save  you  from  a 
worse  evil  than  the  one  that  has  befallen 
you. 

^ Go  right  on,  and  ask  no  questions  about 
the  past.  Of  all  the  miserable  gnats  that 
sting  and  torment  one  who  is  under  heavy 
weather,  none  are  more  annoying  than  those 
abominable  “ Whys.”  No  matter  why  about 
anything  just  yet.  Of  all  things,  do  not  sit 
down,  and  try  to  think  out  the  reason  for 
this  and  that,  going  over  every  little  painful 
detail  of  the  affair,  again  and  again,  instead 
of  gathering  together  the  remnants  of  your 
affairs,  and  spreading  your  small  tattered  sails 
for  another  effort  toward  port^ 

One  thing  is  certain,  that  scheme  is  dead ; 
and  all  your  turning  it  over  and  over,  and 
talking  of  “ the  particulars  ” with  your 
friends,  will  not  bring  it  to  life.  ^ 

Another  is  quite  as  sure : there  is  good  in 
the  stroke,  for  “ all  things  work  together  for 


134  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

good  to  them  that  love  the  Lord.”  It  is  dis- 
loyalty to  God  to  talk  about  bad  luck  while 
He  holds  the  helm.  When  you  are  strong 
and  humble  enough  to  heed  Him,  He  will 
probably  let  you  know  what  He  meant  bjr 
permitting  this  trouble  to  come  upon  you ; 
but  at  present  you  had  better  set  yourself  to 
learn  the  lesson  of  humility,  love,  and  faith, 
so  that  it  will  be  safe  for  your  soul  to  get  out 
again  into  prosperity. 

You  wiU  be  strongly  tempted  to  depend 
upon  your  own  vertebral  column ; stiffening 
up  with  a stout,  “ I ’ll  show  them  that  I ’m 
not  a dunce  ! They  ’ll  see  I ’ll  come  out  all 
right  yet.”  That  sort  of  behavior  reminds 
me  of  a young  man  whom  I saw  when  his 
physician  was  called  to  prescribe  for  him  in  a 
sudden  prostration  caused  by  overwork. 

“Well,  doctor,  how  long  are  you  going  to 
keep  me  here  ? ” 

“ Oh,  I guess  I ’ll  have  you  on  your  feet 
again  in  a couple  of  weeks.” 

“ Two  weeks ! No,  sir ! ” and  he  straight- 


OUT  OU  BUSINESS. 


135 


ened  himself  as  if  he  were  going  to  push  the 
foot-hoard  out  of  the  bedstead.  “I  give 
you  notice  that  I ’ll  not  stay  here  two 
weeks ! ” 

“ Very  well,  my  friend,”  said  the  old  doc- 
tor, “ if  that  is  your  spirit,  we  ’ll  have  to 
make  it  four.  You  ’ll  have  to  lie  there  till 
you  get  all  that  sort  of  thing  out  of  you.” 

While  your  courage  stands  like  a rock,  see 
to  it  that  you  let  the  Lord  take  all  the  ego- 
tism out  of  you.  Your  symptoms  indicate 
self-trust ; and  Ke  wUl  not  tolerate  that  in 
one  of  His  children.  In  its  very  incipiency 
it  is  harmful ; in  its  strength  it  is  fatal. 

You  will  probably  find  that  your  changed 
circumstances  will  scatter  your  summer 
friends;  and  you  will  be  tempted  to  indulge 
in  all  manner  of  bitter  misanthropies.  The 
probability  is  that  your  friends  have  been 
about  at  faithful  to  you  as  you  would  have 
been  to  them.  We  forget  that  we  ourselves 
are  human,  when  we  get  to  railing  against 
the  infirmities  of  humanity.  No  doubt  there 


136  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

are  palliating  facts  in  each,  case ; at  any  rate, 
the  love  that  beareth  all  things,  must  give 
each  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,  for  it  also 
hopeth  all  things.  You  set  about  getting  all 
the  good  you  can  out  of  this  chastisement ; 
but,  after  all,  there  stands  the  ugly  fact,  — 
you  are  out  of  business,  — now,  what  ? 

You  will  not  think  of  sitting  down  idly  to 
“ wait  for  something  to  turn  up.”  One  thing 
is  always  sure  to  “ turn  up,”  — bills  for  your 
living.  You  must  go  to  work  at  something 
right  away;  but  you  had  better  go  quietly 
and  carefully.  You  do  not  know  which  way 
to  turn.  Be  sure  God  has  not  forgotten  you 
for  a moment.  He  will  open  a way  for  you. 
When  the  Israelites  were  at  the  Bed  Sea 
with  their  retreat  cut  off,  they  were  told, 
“ The  Lord  will  fight  for  you ; ” their  part 
was  to  “hold  their  peace.”  Yet  the  next 
moment  Moses  was  ordered  to  speak  to  them 
that  they  go  forward.  You  must  set  yourself 
bravely,  thoughtfully,  resolutely,  to  find  the 
thing  you  are  to  do  next. 


OUT  or  BUSINESS. 


137 


You  will  not  think  for  a moment  of  falling 
back  on  your  friends.  As  already  intimated, 
you  will  find  them  scarcer  than  they  were 
formerly.  Ordinary  friendships  are  not  to  he 
depended  upon  when  most  needed.  You 
need  not  plan  for  full  moonlight  in  “ the 
dark  ” of  that  orb  of  steady  habits ; neither 
can  you  order  up  moonlight  when  it  is  not 
promised  in  the  almanac,  no  matter  how  in- 
convenient the  darkness  may  be.  You  can- 
not count  upon  friends  to  help  you  when  you 
most  need  them.  To  be  sure  the  Lord  has 
now  and  then  a Great  Heart  who  will  stand 
by,  no  matter  how  heavy  the  gale.  They  are 
the  ones  of  whom  Shakespeare  says ; — 

“ The  friends  thou  hast,  and  their  adoption  tried, 
Grapple  them  to  thy  soul  with  hooks  of  steel.” 

You  will  find,  as  a rule,  that  each  has  all 
he  can  do  to  take  care  of  his  own  affairs. 
Few  have  any  time  or  strength  to  spare  for 
pulling  other  people’s  loads  uphill. 

While  you  are  looking  for  a place  to  begin 


138  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

again,  yon  want  to  take  in  sail  to  suit  your 
altered  circumstances.  Do  not  try  to  “ keep 
up  appearances.”  You  have  probably  debts 
enough  to  carry  without  adding  another  dol- 
lar. Better  a thousand  times  come  down  at 
once  to  the  simplest  fare,  reducing  by  so 
much  the  probabilities  of  your  being  misun- 
derstoood  in  the  matter,  and  lightening  by 
even  a little,  the  burden  of  the  uphill  tug. 

It  may  be  well  to  consider  carefully  whether 
or  not  you  are  adapted  to  the  business  in 
which  you  failed.  Your  judgment  is  more 
mature  than  when  you  chose  it  first ; per- 
haps a change  would  be  better ; though  in 
considering  such  an  alternative,  you  must  re- 
member that  your  knowledge  of  that  busi- 
ness is  a part  of  your  capital,  and  it  ought 
not  to  be  lightly  put  aside. 

It  will  gall  your  pride  to  go  down  and  be- 
gin again  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  doing  work 
.that  you  have  been  giving  only  to  common 
day  laborers ; but  your  humility  must  be 
equal  to  that  test.  Sure  of  your  own  integ- 


OUT  OF  BUSINESS. 


139 


rity,  Christ  in  you  the  hope  of  glory,  you 
cannot  long  be  depressed  by  your  troubles. 
You  will  find  yourself  saying,  “ I am  as  good 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  and  His  people,  in 
my  rough,  working  clothes,  and  at  my  coarse, 
hard  labor,  as  I was  when  I rode  about  in  my 
carriage,  and  could  entertam  my  friends 
handsomely.” 

Do  not  shy  anybody  on  account  of  your 
changed  exterior.  Give  good  people  credit 
for  common  sense  and  Christianity  enough  to 
know  that  “ a man’s  a man  for  a’  that.” 

Above  all,  trust  God  to  teach  you  the  les- 
son that  your  altered  fortunes  are  intended 
to  give.  Get  the  honey  out  of  the  carcass  of 
the  lion.  Let  the  sweet  lesson  in  this  body 
of  bitterness  give  your  soul  strength ; and  be 
sure  that  it  will  be  one  of  the  things  for 
which  you  will  thank  God  most  fervently  in 
later  years. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MUSCLE. 

Mind  has  power  over  matter  mysterious 
and  measureless,  yet  matter  sometimes  gets 
the  better  of  mind.  There  are  people  even 
in  this  enlightened  nineteenth  century,  who 
believe  so  fully  in  the  dominance  of  matter, 
that  they  look  for  depravity  in  the  stomach 
or  liver ; and  they  are  ready  to  prescribe  blue 
mass  or  podophyllin  for  feeble  thinking,  dis- 
turbed conscience,  or  disordered  morals. 
They  forget  that  some  of  the  finest  intellect- 
ual work  of  the  world  has  been  done  by 
men  and  women  with  a slender  physical  life  ; 
and  some  of  the  sweetest  and  mightiest 
saints  live  in  the  frailest  tenements^  Imper- 
fectly housed,  or  even  disembodied,  spirits, 
may  play  a part,  now  and  then,  in  the  affairs 
140 


MUSCLE. 


141 


of  the  ■world ; yet  the  rule  holds  that  souls 
need  good,  sound  bodies,  for  the  tug  and 
strain  of  bringing  things  to  pass.  Not  un- 
frequently  the  last  ounce  of  physical  endur- 
ance takes  the  prize.  <^One  whose  white  soul 
touches  the  stars,  may  lie  gasping  and  dying 
by  the  wayside,  while  another  with  feebler 
and  more  selfish  spirit,  but  better  muscle, 
holds  out  to  touch  the  goal.  ; 

The  body  is  the  soul’s  servant,  and  it  must 
be  cared  for  accordingly.  You  take  the  best 
care  of  a horse  if  you  would  make  him  do 
the  best  work.  When  men  risk  thousands 
of  money  upon  an  animal’s  muscle,  they 
spare  no  pains  to  keep  him  at  his  best.  T am 
told  that  a certain  New  Yorker  who  invests 
heavily  in  the  turf,  keeps  his  racers  in  a 
stable  with  a groom  sleeping  beside  them. 
The  man  has  insufficient  bedding,  so  that  he 
will  he  wakened  by  a dull  in  the  atmosphere. 
Then  he  will  get  up  and  give  the  horses  extra 
blankets.  If  a man  will  keep  his  race-horse 
so  carefully,  how  ought  you  to  keep  your 


142  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

body  in  condition  to  render  your  soul  the 
very  best  service  ? 

The  old  Greeks  carried  muscular  culture 
to  the  extreme.  The  highest  honors  of  the 
state  were  given  to  the  man  who  won  in  the 
gctmes.  When  he  returned  to  his  city  the 
walls  near  his  house  were  taken  down  for 
him  to  enter ; as  much  as  to  say,  “ The  city 
who  has  such  sons  for  her  defense,  has  no 
need  of  walls.” 

Plato  saw  the  folly  of  this,  and  swung  to 
the  opposite  extreme,  teaching  that  the  body 
is  the  enemy  of  the  soul ; and  until  the  latter 
is  set  free  from  the  burdensome,  dominant 
clay,  it  cannot  have  so  much  as  a thought. 

Christian  ascetics  have  wrought  by  the  rule 
of  the  old  pagan  philosopher,  and  have 
starved  and  otherwise  maltreated  their  bodies, 
hoping  thus  to  get  rid  of  their  sins.  Paul 
said,  “ I keep  my  body  under  ” ; — as  the  lit- 
tle boy  rendered  it,  “ my  soul  on  top.”  Paul 
said,  also,  that  our  bodies  are  the  temples  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  therefore  we  must  glorify 
God  with  them. 


]VITJSCLE. 


143 


The  hody  has  rights  and  it  can  assert  them. 
The  nerve  of  a tooth  is  a small  affair,  bnt  it 
can  drive  one  out  of  his  wits  with  pain.  The 
sick  headache  is  a simple  indisposition.  No- 
body wastes  pity  upon  it,  for  it  cannot  kill 
you.  Yet  while  it  lasts  you  are  deaf  to  all 
harmony,  and  blind  to  all  beauty,  knowing 
nothing  in  the  universe  but  that  tormenting 
pain  and  horrid  nausea. 

Since  the  body  has  such  power  over  the 
soul,  it  stands  to  reason  that  it  is  wise  to  keep 
it  in  good  condition.  This  can  ordinarily  be 
done,  if  you  study  and  obey  hygienic  law. 
Like  all  rules,  this  one  has  exceptions.  One 
who  is  supposed  to  be  authority  was  asked  if 
all  diseases  could  not  be  cured  if  taken  in 
time.  He  replied,  “ Yes ; but  to  take  them 
in  time  may  meail  to  begin  two  hundred  years 
back.” 

You  may  have  inherited  diseases  that  no 
medicines  can  reach.  You  may  have  been 
hopelessly  injured  by  an  accident ; yet  the 
rule  is  that  you  may  have  health  if  you  will 
take  care  of  your  body. 


144  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

To  begin,  you  must  have  the  main-spring 
of  motive  right  in  all  your  efforts  at  manag- 
ing this  delicate  and  complex  machinery. 
Seek  to  be  in  health,  not  that  you  may  be 
saved  the  annoyance  of  suffering,  and  have 
the  pleasure  oh*feeling  well  and  strong ; not 
even  that  you  may  be  of  service  to  your 
friends,  your  country,  your  race.  Noble  as 
this  last  motive  is,  it  is  poor  and  cheap  beside 
the  higher  one  of  pleasing  God,  and  doing 
something  to  add  to  His  glory.  For  His  sake 
to  whom  your  body  belongs,  and  that  it  may 
be  strong  for  His  service,  you  must  do  what 
you  can  to  keep  it  in  health,  purity,  and 
vigor. 

Its  outward  appearance  is  not  a matter  of 
indifference.  It  must  be  clothed  with  agree- 
able manners  and  proper  deportment.  You 
may  see  some  great  man  who  is  so  engrossed 
with  matters  of  importance,  as  to  quite  for- 
get the  “ small,  sweet  courtesies.”  Do  not 
allow  yourself  to  imitate  any  of  his  uncouth 
ways,  thinking  thus  to  catch  something  of 


MUSCLE. 


145 


his  greatness.  Diamonds  may  have  flaws, 
but  flaws  do  not  make  diamonds.  The  world 
may  overlook  the  eccentricities  of  one  whose 
hands  are  full  of  good  work,  because  he  is 
not  supposed  to  have  leisure  for  all  the  minu- 
tiie  of  decorum;  but  it  is  quite  another 
thing  with  you,  whose  time  is  known  to  be 
far  less  valuable.  You  cannot  be  excused 
from  giving  due  attention  to  the  code  of  pro- 
prieties. He  may  wear  an  ill-fitting  coat,  but 
it  will  be  better  for  you  to  have  your  clothing 
so  made  that  it  will  give  the  impression  that 
you  still  have  leisure  to  attend  to  such  mat- 
ters, and  you  have  a desire  to  please  by  your 
personal  appearance.  Not  that  you  are  to  be 
dandyish,  your  garments  indicating  what  one 
of  that  insipid  tribe  was  honest  enough  to 
admit. 

“ I say,  Fwed,  youah  necktie  is  just  per- 
fectly splendid ! It ’s  magnificent ! ” 

“ It  ought  to  look  pretty  well,  I give  my 
mind  to  it.” 

Your  great  man  may  let  his  hair  grow  to 


146  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

an  awkward  length,  brushing  it  only  occa- 
sionally. He  may  neglect  his  nails,  cutting 
and  scraping  them  only  when  he  is  obliged 
to  do  so.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  you  will  not 
spend  time  trimming  and  polishing  yours,  on 
account  of  any  silly  fashion,  yet  you  must 
not  forget  to  keep  your  hands  tidy,  even  to 
your  fingers’  ends. 

Many  neglect  their  teeth,  which  is  a costly 
carelessness.  You  may  think  you  are  too 
busy  to  stop  and  brush  them  daily.  You 
save  five  minutes  a day  by  your  neglect,  but 
presently  you  lose  twenty-four  hours  with 
tooth-ache, — two  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
times  five  minutes,  of  torture,  and  that  multi- 
plied indefinitely,  and  ending  with  a wrench 
that  threatens  to  unroof  the  brain,  and  a good 
dentist’s  bill  in  the  bargain. 

Proper  care  of  the  skin,  not  only  adds  to 
the  tidiness  of  one’s  appearance,  but  it  is  de- 
cidedly conducive  to  health.  The  skin  helps 
largely  at  the  scavenger  work  of  the  body, 
carrying  off  out-worn  particles,  and  other 


MUSCLE. 


147 


waste  matter.  This  is  of  more  importance 
than  you  may  at  first  think.  In  a large  city, 
where  sanitary  conditions  are  violated  by  the 
clogging  of  sewers,  and  the  lack  of  proper 
street  cleanmg,  people  need  not  expect  to  be 
well.  It  is  quite  as  necessary  to  keep  open 
and  clear  the  channels  by  which  waste  mat- 
ter is  thrown  out  of  the  system.  You  cer- 
tainly do  not  want  to  breathe  it  into  the  faces 
of  your  friends ; and  yet  that  is  just  what 
you  do  when  you  neglect  other  methods  of 
disposing  of  it.  It  is  loaded  upon  the  breath, 
and  thrown  out  through  the  lungs.  Even 
when  an  offensive  breath  proclaims  publicly 
your  negligence,  that  is  not  sufficient  pen- 
ance. Enough  of  the  poison  remains  behind 
to  make  you  liable  to  serious  diseases.  Many 
a man  lies  for  weeks,  tossing  with  fever,  los- 
ing any  amount  of  time  and  money,  and 
drifting  down  toward  death,  when  a daily 
bath  and  vigorous  use  of  the  flesh-brush, 
would  have  kept  his  skin  in  condition  for  its 
work,  and  saved  him  the  loss  and  suffering. 


148  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

We  are  often  strangely  at  fault  in  regard 
to  tlie  circulation  of  the  blood.  We  know 
that  the  blood  goes  out  through  the  arteries, 
vitalizing  every  part  of  the  body,  and  comes 
back,  through  the  veins,  to  the  lungs,  to  be 
re-vitalized  by  contact  with  outside  air.  The 
measure  of  our  breathing,  and  the  quality  of 
the  air  we  breathe,  is  usually  the  measure  of 
our  vitality  and  vigor.  Yet,  strange  as  it 
seems,  we  put  ourselves  on  short  allowance 
of  air,  wliich  means,  defective  vitality,  and 
failure  in  all  good  work,  for  lack  of  endu- 
rance and  strength ; and  that  when  we  are 
(valking  on  the  bottom  of  a sea  of  it,  at  least 
fifty  miles  deep.  We  shut  ourselves  in  tight 
boxes,  and  kindle  fires  in  them,  to  burn  out 
trhat  may  crowd  in  at  the  cracks,  around  the 
doors  and  windows.  For  our  weekly  wor- 
ship, we  build  boxes  large  enough  to  hold  four 
or  five  hundred  of  us,  where  we  sit,  breathing 
each  others’  breaths,  and  trying  to  be  devo- 
tional. Our  efforts  are  often  a failure,  for 
the  lack  of  pure  air,  though  it  is  presssng  at 


MUSCLE. 


149 


the  rate  of  fifteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch, 
upon  the  shell  in  which  we  shut  ourselves. 
You  inaj  not  be  to  blame  for  the  wretch- 
ed ventilation  of  house,  or  lecture-hall,  or 
church,  but  you  can  certainly  cure  yourself 
of  the  habit  of  only  half-inflating  your  lungs 
in  your  ordinary  breathing,  thus  only  half 
vitalizing  your  blood,  and  keeping  yourself 
feeble,  when  you  ought  to  be  full  of  vigor. 

It  is  a question  whether  you  have  yet 
learned  to  breathe  at  all  as  you  ought.  Most 
people  lift  the  entire  frame-work  of  the  chest, 
shoulder-bones,  arms  and  all,  every  time  they 
fill  the  lungs.  The  result  is  that  they  do  not 
fill  the  lungs  completely,  and  much  of  the 
blood  staggers  back  in  a feeble  way,  to  do  the 
great  work  of  supplying  with  vigor,  muscle, 
nerve,  and  brain.  Feeble  circulation,  feeble 
vitality,  feeble  thinking,  feeble  moral  pur- 
pose ; — all  feeble  together,  and  for  the  lack 
of  air,  though  the  Lord  has  supplied  it  for  us 
by  the  oceanful.  Thoughtful  people  are  just 
beginning  to  learn  how  to  take  in  large,  deep. 


150  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

breaths,  using  mainly,  the  muscles  of  the  dia- 
phragm, and  the  lower  part  of  the  chest.  In 
a recent  sangerfest,  a lady  who  teaches  in  the 
public  schools,  gave  an  exercise  in  abdominal 
breathing,  in  which  two  or  three  thousand 
children  participated.  No  one  spoke  or 
sung.  The  hour  was  given  to  exercises  that 
develop  the  chest  muscles,  and  fix  a habit  of 
deep,  full  breathing,  making  the  muscles  that 
are  used  in  abdominal  breathing,  as  firm  and 
manageable  as  those  of  the  hand,  and  training 
the  will  to  use  them  as  if  they  were  the  han- 
dles of  a bellows. 

This  system  not  only  provides  for  abundant 
vitality,  but  it  gives  erectness  and  grace  to 
the  form.  Curb  your  chin  as  you  would  bit 
a colt,  to  make  him  move  with  a sure,  taut 
step.  Let  your  heels  strike  the  pavement,  so 
as  to  stiffen  the  muscles  back  of  your  knees, 
and  you  will  find  yourself  standing  in  an 
erect  position. 

“ Oh,  but,”  you  say,  “ I despise  lofty  airs. 
Anything  in  the  world  but  these  people  who 


MUSCLE. 


151 


go  stepping  around  as  if  the  earth,  were  not 
quite  good  enough  for  them  to  walk  on ! ” I 
join  you  in.  that  disgust ; and  yet  you  want 
your  bearing  to  represent  honestly  what  you 
are,  — an  “upright,  downright,  straight-for- 
ward,” self-respecting.  God-fearing  man,  any- 
body’s peer  in  the  line  the  Lord  has  given 
you  to  walk  in. 

A crawling,  cringing,  weak-kneed  move- 
ment, like  that  of  Dickens’  Uriah  Heep,  will 
not  make  you  “ an  ’umble  person  ” ; neither 
will  it  make  anybody  believe  that  you  are 
“ ’umble.”  It  will  do  one  thing  for  you  : it 
will  set  all  the  growlers,  canine  and  human, 
snarling  at  your  heels ; while  if  you  have  the 
bearing  of  a prince  of  the  blood,  “ a child  of 
the  King,”  you  can  go  through  many  a diffi- 
cult place  unchallenged.  An  erect  carriage, 
and  steady,  firm  step,  will  help  your  mental 
operations.  Your  mind  will  be  apt  to  be 
shambling,  slouching,  slovenly,  in  its  move- 
ment, if  your  will  has  not  the  sense  and  grip 
to  hold  your  muscles  to  direct,  dignified  ac- 


152  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

tion.  And  your  soul,  also,  — easy-going,  self- 
indulgent,  shirking;  — what  Mrs.  Stowe 
characterizes  as  “shiftlessness,”  will,  mark 
your  spiritual  life.  On  the  other  hand,  grace 
will  help  strengthen  your  muscles. 

In  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  meetings 
in  London,  I heard  a man  speak  who  had  evi- 
dently been  rescued  from  that  class  of  the 
lowest  of  all  low  people,  — the  English 
tramps  and  paupers.  Some  one  has  said, 
“ No  one  has  heart  or  hope  for  them  but  John 
Bright  and  Charles  Spurgeon.”  He  would 
have  to  add  now,  “ and  the  Booths  ” ; for  the 
meeting  to  which  I refer  was  made  up  m?th  iiy 
of  decently  dressed,  respectable-looking  men 
and  women,  evidently  gathered  from  the 
ranks  of  the  outcasts;  and  that  particular 
man  had  been  fished  out  of  the  deepest  mud 
of  a London  slum. 

“ Do  you  know  what  religion  does  for  a 
body  ? ” he  asked.  “ I ’ll  tell  you.  Before  I 
was  converted  they  called  me  ragged  Jim; 
and  that ’s  just  what  I was,  and  no  mistake. 


jrUSCLE. 


153 


Now  what  do  you  think  was  the  first  thing  I 
did  when  the  Lord  spoke  peace  to  my  soul  ? 
I borrowed  a pin  to  fasten  my  old  ragged 
coat  together.  I did  n’t  know  till  that  min- 
ute how  shabby  I was.  Now,  that ’s  what 
the  grace  of  Jesus  will  do  for  a poor  fellow. 
It  ’ll  show  him  first,  how  ragged  he  is,  and 
then  it  ’ll  put  a decent  coat  on  his  back.” 
There  is  nothing  like  the  enlightening 
grace  of  God  to  make  one  feel  his  physical 
and  mental,  as  well  as  spiritual,  need.  The 
prayer  of  the  ritual — 

“ Enable  ‘with  perpetual  light 
The  dullness  of  our  blinded  sight,” 

applies  to  the  necessities  of  the  whole  com- 
plex being.  Sq,  if  you  have  run  rapidly  over 
these  pages,  only  half  thinking  of  what  I 
have  been  saying,  passing  the  most  of  what 
you  read  over  to  some  miserable  consunjp- 
tive  or  dyspeptic  of  your  acquaintance,  who 
is  “ evidently  in  need  of  this  fresh-air  lec- 
ture,” and  have  taken  none  of  it  to  yourself. 


154  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

let  me  ask  you  to  stop,  right  here,  and  ask 
Him,  whose  temple  your  body  is,  if  you  are 
doing  all  in  your  power,  as  He  would  have 
you,  to  keep  it  strong  and  beautiful  for  Him. 

No  unclean  bird  would  be  allowed  to  make 
its  nest  in  the  forest  of  statuary  that  adorns 
the  roof  of  the  Milan  Cathedral.  The  word 
in  regard  to  the  human  body  is,  “ Him  that 
defileth  the  temple  will  God  destroy.”  The 
birds  may  fly  over  that  wonderful  roof,  but 
they  are  not  allowed  to  rest  there.  Impure 
thoughts  may  throw  their  loathsome  shadow 
over  your  mind ; unclean  words  may  be  whis- 
pered in  your  ear ; but  your  will,  loyal  to  the 
holy  Christ,  stands  with  its  scourge  of  small 
cords,  to  drive  them  away.'  You  have  said  to 
the  Lord : — 

“ Take  my  lips,  and  let  them  be 
Filled  with  messages  for  Thee.” 

After  that  consecration  you  can  never  lower 
yourself  to  utter  a syllable  that  will  express 
or  suggest  a vile  thought,  no  matter  how 


MUSCLE. 


155 


free,  or  careless,  or  merry  your  mood.  You 
can  uever  forget  that  lips  that  are  kept  for 
the  Master’s  use,  must  not  be  defiled  by  un- 
clean speech. 

I remember  a little  fairy  story  about  two 
girls  whose  godmother  gave  each  a gift  ac- 
cording to  her  disposition.  Whenever  one 
spoke,  gems  fell  from  her  lips,  and  the  little 
children  ran  to  gather  them  up.  When  the 
other  opened  her  lips,  reptiles  slid  from  them, 
so  that  the  children  ran  off  in  terror,  to 
escape  the  horrid  things.  You  do  not  want 
to  drop  poison  from  your  lips,  that  will  burn 
and  blister  long  after  the  good  you  tried  to 
say  is  forgotten. 

Keep  your  ear-gate  closed  against  what 
ought  not  to  be  said.  It  will  take  but  a mo- 
ment for  a drop  of  the  venom  of  hell  to  get 
into  your  thoughts,  and  it  may  take  years  to 
restore  you  perfectly  from  its  pollution.  You 
would  not  stay  in  the  presence  of  a leper,  for 
fear  of  contracting  the  terrible  disease. 
Would  you  trust  yourself  to  associate  with 


156  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

one  who  is  leprous  in  soul?  The  latter  is  in 
finitely  the  greater  danger.  Shun  such  a 
young  man,  as  you  would  one  from  a pest- 
house,  dripping  with  contagion.  In  the  care 
of  the  body,  as  in  everything  else,  it  is  the 
blessing  of  the  Lord  that  maketh  rich,  and 
addeth  no  sorrow.  It  is  the  Sun  of  Eight- 
eousness  that  has  healing  in  His  wings. 
When  you  learn  to  rejoice  evermore,  pray 
without  ceasing,  in  everytliing  give  thanks, — 
“for  this  is  the  will  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus 
concerning  you,”  — you  will  find  that  you 
can  “ mount  up  on  wings  as  eagles,  you  can 
run,  and  not  be  weary,  walk,  and  not  faint.” 
Christianity  has  added,  fifteen  years  to  the 
average  life  of  the  race.  When  its  privileges 
are  fully  understood  and  enjoyed,  it  will 
bring  us,  in  spirit,  at  least,  into  possession  of 
perennial  youth. 

You  need  never  fret;  for  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  the  Lord. 
You  need  have  no  care  ; for  you  may  cast  all 
your  care  on  Him.  God  is  able  to  take  the 


MUSCLE. 


157 


very  best  care  of  whatever  is  committed  to 
Him.  You  may  feel  free  to  ask  Him  to  do 
all  that  needs  to  be  done  to  keep  your  body 
in  good  working  condition,  as  long  as  you  can 
say,  “For  Thy  glory,  because  it  belongs  to 
Thee.” 


CHAPTER  X. 


IN  THE  COTJNTKY. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  see  a difference  be- 
tween those  who  live  in  the  city  and  those 
whose  home  is  in  the  country,  though  that 
difference  is  mainly  external  and  supenlcial. 
It  is  not  in  dress,  for  that  is  a matter  of  per- 
sonal taste.  Some  have  a certain  style  about 
them,  as  we  say;  and  they  will  look  well- 
dressed  in  the  coarsest,  plainest  clothing, 
while  others  pay  extravagant  tailors’  bills, 
and  yet  fail  altogether  of  the  elegant  appear- 
ance they  so  much  desire.  One  who  has 
natural  taste  will  make  a pretty  bouquet  of 
dandelions  and  a mullein  stalk  ; another  who 
is  deficient  in  that  quality,  may  have  all  the 
flowers  of  a conservatory,  and  he  will  put 
them  together  with  an  awkward,  constrained 
158 


IN  THE  COUNTRY. 


159 


air,  minus  the  grace  that  is  as  natural  to  the 
other,  as  song  is  to  the  nightingale. 

As  a rule,  however,  city  people  are  more 
stylishly  dressed  than  those  who  live  in  the 
country.  They  see  well-dressed  people  every 
*day,  because  many  of  them  are  showy  and 
extravagant ; besides,  country  people  gener- 
ally wear  their  best  when  they  go  to  the  city. 
So  city  people  get  a “ habit  of  good  clothes,” 
as  it  is  sometimes  called.  This  holds  also  of 
their  manners,  which  are  a secondary  cloth- 
ing. They  of  the  city  have  no  time  for  rude- 
ness. Jostled  and  crowded  as  they  are  con- 
stantly by  strangers,  they  find  that  they  pass 
for  more  and  get  on  better  if  they  are  polite. 
In  the  country,  everybody  knows  everybody, 
and  there  is  little  temptation  to  attempt  to  pass 
one’s  self  off  for  more  than  he  is.  One  may 
be  a little  rough  and  careless  in  his  exterior, 
but  they  all  know  his  real  worth,  and  they 
say,  “ It’s  his  way,  you  know  ” ; and  it  makes 
little  difference  with  his  standing. 

In  the  city,  nobody  knows  you,  and  they 


160  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

take  you,  up  to  certain  risks,  according  to 
your  appearance.  That,  of  itself,  will  give 
one  a habit  of  “putting  the  best  foot  for- 
ward.” 

A prime  difference  between  the  people 
who  live  in  the  country  and  those  who  are  in  ■* 
the  city,  lies  in  their  use  of  time.  In  the 
country  the  chief  values  depend  upon  growth, 
and  growth  takes  time,  and  time  is  the  most 
plentiful  commodity. 

A farmer  becomes  rich,  not  so  much  from 
personal  work,  as  from  the  increase  of  popula- 
tion around  him,  and  the  development  of  the 
resources  of  the  land.  His  slow  enrichment 
goes  right  on,  whether  he  sleeps  or  wakes.  It 
may  fluctuate  with  atmospheric  and  general 
financial  changes ; but  the  rule  is,  steady  in- 
crease. He  may  drive  early  and  late,  crowd 
in  larger  crops,  and  take  advantage  of  the 
market,  but  the  main  factor  in  his  problem  of 
success  is  time. 

When  any  product  is  abundant  it  is  used 
carelessly.  Near  the  oyster  beds  of  Chesa- 


IN  THE  COUNTRY. 


161 


peake  Bay,  they  use  the  very  bast  “ counts  ” 
as  commonly  as  people  elsewhere  do  eggs. 

Time,  the  best  country  product,  is  used 
wastefully.  That  habit  may  give  a young 
man  a leisurely,  hesitating,  sometime  slouch- 
ing gait.  City  people  live  by  trade.  Every- 
body has  something  to  sell ; and  the  profits 
of  the  business  are  usually  determined  by  the 
number  of  times  one  can  turn  his  capital  in 
a year.  That  makes  him  alert,  exact,  direct. 
It  gives  him  a not-a-moment-to-waste  air. 

Ask  one  in  the  country  to  direct  you  to  a 
given  point,  and  he  tells  you  to  go  on  till  you 
come  to  a red  barn.  Widow  Beasley  lives 
there.  Turn  down  past  her  house,  and  on, 
till  you  come  to  the  bridge  over  the  run ; 
you  mustn’t  take  the  road  that  bears  off  to 
your  left  hand,  up  the  branch.  It  will  bring 
you  put  at  old  Squire  Putnam’s,  a good  four 
miles  from  where  you  want  to  go,  etc.,  etc., 
etc.  I remember  asking  a London  policeman 
the  way  to  the  submarine  telegraph  office. 
“ Top  of  the  third  turning  ” ; and  before  1 


162  ¥KOM  FLFTEElSr  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

could  make  up  my  mind  wlietlier  or  not  be 
bad  answered  me  in  my  motber  tongue,  and 
wbat  tbe  “ top  of  a turning  ” could  be,  be 
was  in  tbe  middle  of  the  street,  helping  a 
cripple  out  of  a crush  of  hansoms  and  omni- 
buses. 

There  are  many  advantages  in  country  life, 
that  one  ought  to  make  tbe  most  of  while  he 
has  the  chance.  Fresh  air,  sunshine,  rough 
riding,  make  the  best  possible  muscle.  More 
than  one  battle  in  later  life  turns  on  the 
ability  to  endure  muscular  strain  and  wear. 
Farmer  boys  usually  get  a magnificent  phys- 
ical outfit  without  boating  or  base-ball,  which 
are  expensive  of  time  and  opportunity,  and 
often  of  morals.  This  muscle  stands  them 
in  good  stead  upon  occasion,  and  it  is  always 
serviceable.  Do  you  remember  the  story  of 
the  countryman  from  the  south  of  France, 
who  was  raised  from  the  ranks  to  the  em- 
peror’s staff  within  five  minutes,  by  his  muscle 
and  wit?  During  a review  in  Paris,  Napo- 
leon’s horse  had  become  unmanageable,  and 


IN  THE  COUNTKY. 


lo3 


the  emperor  was  in  imminent  danger.  No- 
body dared  attempt  a rescue,  till  the  vicious 
animal  had  plunged  down  the  ranks  to  where 
this  countryman  was  standing.  The  man 
had  handled  more  than  one  dangerous  horse 
before,  and  he  knew  the  strength  of  his  own 
muscle.  He  seized  the  bit  with  both  hands, 
and  brought  the  frantic  beast  to  a stand-still. 
“ Thanks,  captain,”  said  the  autocrat.  The 
man  showed  instantly  that  quickness  of 
thought  that  comes  from  sudden  encounters 
with  the  forces  of  nature,  and  the  stealthy, 
dangerous  creatures  of  the  forest.  In  a flash 
he  responded,  “ Of  what  regiment.  Sire  ? ” 
The  emperor  recognized  the  shrewdness  and 
quickness,  that  with  the  marvelous  strength, 
would  make  the  man  invaluable  in  his  ser- 
vice, and  rephed  at  once,  “ On  my  staff.” 
The  countryman’s  fortune  was  made,  as  this 
world  goes. 

City  people  can  do  a few  things  well  and 
gracefully ; but  the  country  gives  more  time 
f(U'  broad  general  thinking,  a seeking  of  pri- 


164  FBOM  fiftee:^  to  twenty-five. 

mal  principles,  and  unflinching  loyalty  to 
truth.  The  long,  still  days,  with  the  broad 
sweep  of  wood  and  field,  the  calm  meadow 
slopes,  the  great,  old  hills,  and  the  deep,  pure 
azure  sky  arched  over  all,  must  bring  wide, 
quiet  thought,  to  the  soul. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  easy  where  there  is 
so  little  stir,  so  few  excitements,  to  let  the 
weeks  and  months  slip  by  unimproved,  and 
to  come  to  the  last,  carrying  the  burden  of 
wasted  opportunities,  undeveloj^ed,  crippled 
faculties,  and  unwrought  good.  Think  of 
the  long  winter  evenings  that  are  dozed  or 
dawdled  away,  the  stormy  days  when  you 
are  shut  in  from  work,  and  you  ride  over  to 
the  store  or  shop,  and  sit  around,  whittling  a 
pine  stick,  and  telling,  or  listening  to  stories, 
— some  of  them  not  the  most  elevating. 
How  many  books  might  have  been  read, 
and  pondered,  — how  many  studies  master- 
ed, if  you  had  set  yourself  resolutely  to 
use  every  moment,  and  fill  it  with  the 
work  of  satisfying  your  hunger  to  know. 


nsr  THE  COUNTRY. 


165 


Farmer  boys  are  apt  to  put  off  the  time  of  the 
commencement  of  their  study  till  they  get 
out  of  the  grind  of  "work,  and  have  more 
congenial,  bookish  surroundings. 

That  will  never  do  ; for  you  are  not  at  all 
sure  that  such  a time  will  come,  “ this  side 
Heaven.”  The  thing  to  do  is  to  begin  at 
once  a course  of  reading.  It  is  also  well 
always  to  have  a study  on  hand,  a language 
or  a science,  to  be  learned,  little  by  little, 
but  all  the  more  prized,  when  once  acquired. 

Thank  the  Lord  for  the  fine  muscle  He  has 
given  you ; and  train  it  to  hold  you  erect  and 
gracef'rl  in  your  bearing,  as  certainly  as  your 
bit  does  the  colt  you  intend  to  sell  in  the 
city.  Your  neighbors  may  give  you  a sar- 
castic fling  now  and  then  ; but  never  mind. 
You  can  let  them  see  by  your  gentle  thought- 
fulness and  patience,  that  as  kind  and  meek 
a heart  beats  in  your  big  chest  as  ever 
throbbed  for  another  man’s  trouble ; and  it 
will  come  to  pass  after  a while  that  when 
then.’  eyes  rest  on  you  they  will  involuntarily 


166  FEOM  FITTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

straighten  up,  and  throw  back  their  own 
shoulders ; and  the  next  thing  you  know 
some  of  the  boys,  who  had  been  “getting  a 
little  wild,”  will  come  to  you  for  advice 
about  books.  It  always  make  me  wonder  to 
see  a farmer  riding  to  market  on  a board 
across  the  top  of  his  wagon  box,  and  his  back 
bent  like  a rainbow,  when  it  would  be  so  easy 
to  have  a seat  with  a back  to  it,  and  sit  up 
straight,  instead  of  violating  hygienic  law  in 
that  careless  fashion. 

There  has  been  no  end  of  jokes  about 
“ book-farming,”  but  it  is  coming  to  be  seen 
that  thought  is  as  good  on  a farm  as  any- 
where else.  If  farmers  were  mere  animals, 
and  wrought  by  instinct,  like  bees  and 
beavers,  making  the  first  cell  or  house  as 
perfect  as  the  fiftieth,  there  would  be  no  use 
in  trying  to  teach  them  anything.  The  utter 
inefficiency  of  those  who  fail  at  other  things, 
and  go  into  the  country,  thinking  that  “ any- 
body can  manage  a farm,”  illustrates  the 
need  of  practical  training  in  this,  as  in  other 


nr  THE  COHNTEY. 


167 


avocations.  It  is  possible  that  they  who 
know  the  most  about  the  subject  in  hand, 
are  not  the  ones  who  write  the  books,  and 
edit  the  papers,  yet  the  fact  holds  that  think- 
ing and  study  will  pay  on  a farm,  as  certainly 
as  anywhere ; and  it  had  better  be  done  by 
educated  young  farmers,  rather  than  left  to 
cheap  writers  in  back  attics  who  have  not  so 
much  as  two  square  yards  of  sky  in  sight,  to 
say  notlhng  of  a patch  of  ground  where  any- 
thing could  grow. 

So  I say,  if  you  expect  to  spend  your  days 
on  a farm,  make  your  place  a model  of  thrift 
and  neatness  for  all  that  country.  Have 
your  barns  carefully  and  economically  built, 
your  house  as  tasteful  and  commodious  as 
your  purse  will  permit.  Have  books,  music, 
pictures,  and  above  all,  sweet,  pure  charity 
and  friendliness. 

Malce  up  your  mind  to  have  as  much  labor- 
saving  machinery  in  doors  as  out.  I have 
seen  jnen  riding  about  on  their  “cultivators,” 
enjoying  all  the  modern  improvements,  while 


168  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTT-FIVB. 

their  wives  were  breaking  their  backs  over 
the  washboard,  and  wringing  their  clothes  by 
hand,  just  as  their  great-grandmothers  did. 
I have  thought  I would  like  to  reverse  the 
order  a little  while,  set  the  “ weaker  vessel  ” 
riding  about,  and  let  the  “ sterner  stuff  ” 
take  a few  rounds  at  the  unhelped,  hand- 
to-hand  fight  with  dirt.  I think  the  house 
would  soon  be  stocked  with  washing- 
machines  and  wringers,  patent  churns  and 
sweepers,  and  all  other  needed  apparatus  for 
the  economy  of  muscle. 

Be  sure  and  plan  to  save  your  minutes,  so 
as  to ‘make  the  most  of  them  for  your  books. 
Have  refined  and  elevating  table  talk. 
Discuss  needed  reforms,  church  benevolences, 
the  interests  of  the  Lord’s  kingdom,  rather 
than  the  flavor  of  a pie,  or  the  toothsomeness 
of  a dumpling.  I know  of  nothing  under 
the  broad,  blessed  skies,  lovelier  or  more  rest- 
ful than  an  intellectual,  Christian  home  in 
the  country.  You  can  make  such  a one,  if 
it  please  God  to  give  you  the  true  help-meet, — 


nr  THE  COUNTRY. 


169 


and  you  must  ask  Him  for  her, — but  you 
win  have  to  be  very  wise  in  the  use  of  your 
time  and  money.  It  is  as  easy  to  overwork 
the  body,  and  starve  the  soul,  for  the  sake  of 
adding  to  one’s  possessions,  in  the  country,  as 
it  is  in  the  city.  In  such  homes,  the  old  go 
down  gently  under  the  weight  of  years,  and 
the  young  come  up  sweet  and  true,  sound  in 
health  and  morals,  ready  for  the  bravest  and 
best  work.  From  such  homes,  not  only 
“ Auld  Scotia’s  grandeur  springs,”  but  also 
that  of  every  enlightened  Christian  land. 

There  seems  to  be  a gregarious  hnpulse  on 
Americans  to  draw  them  into  the  cities.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  century  only  one  twenty- 
fifth  of  them  were  in  large  towns,  now  there 
is  one-fifth  of  them  there.  It  will  not  be 
strange,  if  you  yield  to  the  currents,  and  are 
carried  thither  also.  That  will  be  a far  more 
exhausting  life  than  the  one  you  now  live. 
So  you  must  improve  these  days  in  laying 
by  you  in  store  a fund  of  strength  for  those 
trying  years.  You  will  find  in  the  city 


170  TEOM  riFTKEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

that  they  who  put  their  brawny  shoulders 
under  the  world’s  burdens,  lifting  towards 
the  light,  are  country  born  and  country  bred. 

hloses  lived  his  first  forty  years  in  a palace  ; 
but  the  next  forty  had  to  be  spent  in  the 
back  side  of  the  desert,  to  bring  him  to  the 
clear,  strong  insight  that  would  enable  him 
to  see  and  do  the  Divine  will.  Luther, 
Washington,  Lincoln,  those  broad,  brave, 
vital  men,  all  spent  their  early  years  in  the 
country. 

But  of  all,  we  love  most  to  think  of  the 
Young  Man  of  Nazareth,  walking  alone 
under  that  Syrian  sky,  going  to  the  hill  on 
the  side  of  which  the  little  village  was  set, 
and  looking  off  toward  the  Mediterranean, 
kneeling  all  night  with  the  wind  tossing  His 
dew-dampened  hair,  His  head  bowed  under 
our  burdens,  or  His  forehead  raised  toward 
His  own  stars,  and  His  heavenly  throne,  in 
pleadings  for  us.  Keep  ever  before  you  that 
lone,  deep-eyed,  sorrowful  young  man,  who 
lived  his  secluded  country  life,  and  then  was 


IN  THE  COTJNTKT. 


171 


manifested  and  offered  for  our  sins.  He 
said,  “ I am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end 
of  the  world.”  Let  Him  walk  by  your  side, 
and  talk  with  you  as  you  journey  by  the 
way.  Unconsciously  to  yourself  you  will 
grow  like  Him  in  character,  and  some  day 
you  will  be  recognized  as  His  brother  and 
friend,  and  honored  by  good  people,  by  the 
angels,  and  God. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


IN  THE  CITY. 

City  people  have  advantages  of  which  it 
may  be  well  for  ns  to  take  an  inventory ; 
though  this  has  already  been  suggested  in 
what  I have  said  to  young  men  in  the 
country. 

You  are  so  constantly  among  people,  it 
has  become  second  nature  for  you  to  be  well- 
dressed,  polite,  erect  and  self-possessed. 

You  have  also  learned  directness  of  address, 
and  a corresponding  directness  of  mental 
action.  Your  answer  to  a question  is  as 
straight  and  economical  as  a telegraph  dis- 
patch. 

To  a given  extent,  you  are  thoroughly  au 
fait  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  You  have 
been  jostled  by  thousands,  and  sometimes 
172 


IN  THE  CITY. 


173 


not  by  any  means  agreeably,  so  that  you 
have  seen  as  many  phases  of  tliis  myriad- 
minded  microcosm,  this  queer,  cranky,  mys- 
terious human  nature,  as  you  would  have 
done  if  you  had  lived  in  the  country  a hun- 
dred years. 

You  have  already  seen  quite  as  much 
wickedness  as  it  is  profitable  for  a young 
man  to  know  about.  You  have  acquired  a 
habit  of  demanding  proof,  and  you  are  not 
in  the  least  offended  when  strangers  require 
you  to  prove  your  identity.  You  have  seen 
so  many  frauds  that  you  suspect  everybody 
till  he  proves  himself  genuine.  When  a 
stranger  asks  a favor  of  you,  you  require  him 
to  show  his  credentials  in  as  business-like  a 
way  as  a conductor  asks  to  see  a passen- 
ger’s ticket.  This  is  a part  of  the  edu- 
cation that  the  world  gives,  and  you  who 
live  HI  the  city  graduate  early  in  that  de 
partment. 

Within  given  lines  your  powers  of  observa- 
tion are  well  developed.  When  you  go  to 


174  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

tile  country  for  your  summer  vacation,  you 
see  a tliousand  things  that  pass  unnoticed 
under  the  very  eyes  of  your  country  friends; 
though  candor  compels  me  to  acknowledge 
that  you  may  be  behind  them  in  solidity  of 
opinion,  and  breadth  of  outlook. 

You  are  tired  of  the  monotony  of  the  piles 
of  brick  and  mortar  within  which  you  trudge 
your  treadmill  round,  day  after  day,  and  the 
freshness  and  freedom  of  the  country  charm 
you.  ■ Your  eyes  take  in  hungrily  the  filmy 
clouds  of  tender  green  that  catch  in  the 
branches  of  the  trees  in  early  spring ; the 
vista  of  forest  avenues,  the  autumnal  glory 
when  the  woods  blaze  forth  in  scarlet  and 
gold.^  After  your  being  shut  up  so  long 
to  glimpses  of  the  azure  between  rows  of 
buildings,  a whole  June  sky  is  superb,  an 
unveiled  sunset  is  magnificent.  Some  of  the 
finest  bits  of  rural  description  have  been 
written  by  the  dwellers  in  cities  who  go 
into  the  country  with  fresh,  prying  eyes. 

You  have  your  five  senses  under  good  drill ; 


Uf  THE  CITY. 


175 


and  just  there  lies  one  of  your  greatest  dis- 
advantages. You  grow  superficial  in  your 
judgment,  you  have  a consequently  feeble 
hold  of  affairs.  That  may  account  for  the 
fact  that  very  few  people  who  manage  the 
world’s  great  interests,  are  born  and  brought 
up  in  the  city.  Country  people  permit  days 
to  slip  by  with  little  systematic  effort  at  men- 
tal culture.  City  people  live  a condensed 
life  ; yet  they  squander  time  on  an  infinity  of 
affairs  that  have  to  be  handled  in  a hasty 
manner.  This  superficial  work  quite  spoils 
one  for  the  calm,  slow,  steady,  deep  thought 
that  only  can  strike  the  core  of  things.  City 
people  have  usually  three-ply  engagements 
for  every  evening.  They  try  to  choose  be- 
tween a half  dozen  things  that  they  would 
like  to  do,  and  it  usually  ends  in  their  dip- 
ping into  each,  and  doing  none  thoroughly, 
till  they  lose  the  habit  of  doing  anything  as 
it  ought  to  be  done.  You  start  up  from  the 
dinner-table,  and  rush  to  a committee  meet- 
ing, to  help  make  a quorum,  and  get  business 


176  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

under  way.  Then  you  slip  out  and  drop  in 
upon  a lectui’e  that  you  ought  to  have  heard 
from  beginning  to  end.  You  glance  over  at 
the  reporters’  table  and  say  to  yourself,  “ I ’ll 
get  the  substance  of  it  in  the  morning  paper, 
so  I ’ll  just  run  over  and  show  myself  at 
Smith’s  reception.”  While  you  are  tossing 
on  your  pillow  at  midnight,  trying  to  get  the 
better  of  the  strong  coffee  you  were  foolish 
enough  to  imbibe,  you  congratulate  yourself 
that  after  all,  you  have  done  a good  even- 
ing’s work.  Better  go  down  in  sackcloth 
and  ashes,  for  attempting  the  ubiquitous,  and 
fastening  upon  yourself  the  habit  of  doing 
everything  in  a hasty,  shallow  way,  that  will 
leave  you  altogether  hors  du  combat  when 
the  time  comes  for  strong,  telling  strokes. 
When  the  people  are  looking  for  a man  to 
give  the  heavy,  steady  pull  at  the  oar,  that 
will  bring  the  boat  through  the  surf,  they 
will  see  that  you  are  of  too  light  a weight. 

^ _ You  are  mortgaging  your  future ; and  na- 
ture is  a hard  creditor;  she  always  exacts 

/ 


I 


IN  THE  CITY.  177 

compound  interest.  You  are  exhausting 
your  capital ; and  when  the  hour  strikes  for 
the  grand  opportunities  of  life,  you  will  be 
found  unequal  to  the  strain^  and  the  prize 
will  be  taken  by  some  plaiii,  hard-working 
man  from  the  country,  who  has  been  think- 
ing, thinking,  thinking,  as  Grant  and  Lincoln 
used  to  do. 

I hope  you  will  begin  at  once  to  remedy 
this  mischief.  Plan  to  do  less,  and  do  it  bet- 
ter. ,^^^ive  yourself  a mental  sub-soiling.  ' 
You  have  turned  over  the  surface  stratum  of 
thought  till  it  is  quite  worn  out.  Fields  have 
to  be  left  fallow  to  gather  strength.^  There 
has  to  be  a change  of  crops,  to  give  one  ele- 
ment a chance  to  come  up  while  another  is 
being  exhausted.  The  soil  must  be  fed  and 
enriched.  How  much  good,  solid,  mental 
food  have  you  taken  in,  digested,  and  assimi- 
lated, during  the  past  year  ? 

Of  the  old  statesmen  who  are  playing  the 
game  on  the  great  European  chess-board, 
they  only  are  full  of  vigor,  and  able  to  keep 


178  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

pace  with  the  surge  of  events,  who  hold  their 
minds  fresh  and  strong,  by  rest,  and  change, 
and  study. 

But  you  say  you  are  just  beginning  life ; 
you  have  not  come  to  the  pressure  of  which 
I have  been  speaking.  True ; yet  you  are  on 
the  train,  headed  in  that  direction.  Even 
the  little  children  in  the  city,  unless  they  are 
carefully  guarded,  have  an  old,  out- worn  look. 
Did  you  ever  notice  the  faces  of  the  street 
Arabs  that  steal  street-car  rides  ? Eight  and 
ten  years  old,  and  yet  they  seem  tp  have 
been  beaten  upon  by  the  storms  of  half  a 
century.  While  I am  writing,  a quartette  of 
city  young  folks  sit  across  the  aisle  from  me, 
in  a railway  car.  Two  young  men  and  two 
young  ladies ; they  have  turned  a seat,  and 
the  couples  sit  facing  each  another.  Fair, 
average,  young  people ; from  their  talk  it  is 
evident  that  they  all  belong  to  the  same  Sun- 
day-school class.  They  are  hlase^  nervous,  ex- 
citable, superficial.  Now  they  begin  to  blow, 
back  and  forth,  the  chaff  of  small  talk,  and 


rfr  THE  CITY. 


179 


so  far,  I discover  not  tlie  first  grain  of  wlieat 
in  the  whole  of  it.  Indeed,  the  most  of  it 
hardly  rises  to  the  dignity  of  language.  It 
is  mainly  adjectives,  interjections,  slang,  and 
light  laughing.  The  girls  are  a little  guarded 
on  the  slang  part  of  the  talk ; yet  they  evi- 
dently enjoy  it,  and  they  encourage  the  boys 
by  laughing  at  their  queer  speeches.  There 
is  something  in  the  whole  performance  that 
reminds  me  of  what  Solomon  says  about 
the  crackling  of  thorns  under  a pot. 

Now  is  the  time  for  you  to  fix  your  habits 
so  that  you  can  stand  steady  in  the  currents 
that  bear  the  majority  of  city  young  men 
into  that  careless,  foolish,  superficial  life. 

Make  up  your  mind  now,  that  you  will  not 
live  in  thathap-hazard,  drifting  way.  Where 
there  is  so  much  to  claim  your  attention,  you 
will  choose  the  best,  and  learn  to  shut  off  the 
rest  with  a resolute  “ No.”  Avoid  dipping 
into  this  and  that,  just  to  say  that  you  were 
there  ; you  saw  this  celebrity,  you  heard  that 
lion  roar.  Unless  you  learn  his  secret  of  sue- 


180  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

cess,  what  is  the  use  of  giving  him  one  of 
your  preeious  hours?  Of  one  thing  you  may 
be  certain : he  did  not  heeome  famous 

through  the  dissipating  round  of  eity  sociality. 
It  takes  time  to  make  a character,  as  well  as 
an  oak ; and  city  people  are  bankrupt  in  that 
priceless  commodity.  They  never  have  time 
for  anything. 

I would  not  advise  you  to  attempt  yet,  to 
do  as  one  who  has  been  a crowned  king  of 
men  for  nearly  half  a century,  would  sayj 
“ Put  into  the  fire  all  the  irons  that  you  can 
get  hold  of,  shovel,  tongs,  poker  and  all.”  I 
would  say,  rather,  try  to  do  only  what  you  can 
do  to  advantage.  When  you  find  you  can 
manage  safely  and  surely  the  interests  in 
hand,  and  you  have  a little  surplus  energy, 
then  thrust  another  iron  into  the  fire,  but  not 
till  then.  At  the  beginning  make  rigid  rules 
for  your  amusements,  your  social  life,  even 
your  work.  Economize  your  resources. 
While  you  allow  yourself  to  be  crowded  to 
your  full  strength,  keep  enough  reserve  pow- 


nr  THE  CITY. 


181 


er  to  enable  you  to  meet  any  emergency  that 
may  arise.  Above  all  things,  cultivate  a habit 
of  excellence.  Build  your  character  like 
that  marvellous  roof  of  Milan  cathedral,  — 
away  up  there  out  of  sight  of  the  crowds 
that  surge  along  the  pavements  below,  “ for 
the  eyes  of  the  angels,”  as  they  say : “ For 
the  gods  see  everywhere.” 

I saw  it  illuminated  one  night,  by  chemi- 
cals that  brought  out,  now  in  one  brilliant 
color,  then  in  another,  every  spire  and  statue. 
It  was  like  a dream  of  Paradise,  — lying 
there  under  that  Italian  sky,  it  is  seen  only 
by  the  tourists  who  are  at  the  pains  of  climb- 
ing stairs  to  look  at  it,  except  upon  occasions 
when  its  marvellous  beauty  is  illuminated 
for  the  crowd.  It  made  me  think  of  the 
character  of  Lincoln,  our  great  emancipator. 
We  passed  him  on  the  street,  and  jostled  him 
in  the  political  thoroughfares,(little  di’eaming 
of  the  calm,  high  soul  that  was  there,  under 
God’s  pure  heavens,  till  the  lurid  lights  of  the 
nation’s  peril  brought  out,  through  the  gloom, 


182  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

its  majestic  proportions,  its  perfect  harmony, 
its  exquisite  finish.  Build  your  character  so 
that  it  will  bear  a calcium  lightly 

Everybody  knows  that  a great  city  is  full 
of  dangers  to  young  men  who  come  in  from 
the  country.  You  can  hardly  he  too  cautious 
where  you  know  there  are  many  gins  and  pit- 
falls. 

When  we  were  in  Mammoth  Cave,  Mat,  our 
old  guide,  would  call  out,  now  and  then, 
“ Keerful ! Pit  on  de  right ! ” If  we  stray- 
ed ever  so  little  from  the  path  in  those  slip- 
pery places,  we  might  fall,  nobody  could  tell 
how  many  feet  — 

“ Deep  among  disjointed  stones.” 

The  true  path  was  hardly  discernible  by  com- 
mon eyes.  Though  thousands  had  trodden  it, 
their  footfall  left  no  track.  I found,  how- 
ever, that  when  I kept  near  old  Mat,  I saved 
many  steps,  and  my  way  was  safer  and  surer. 

You  know  of  some  of  the  pits  beside  this 
path;  and  I need  hardly  remind  you  of  them. 


m THE  CITY. 


183 


You  have  been  warned  against  confidence 
men  and  kindred  decoys  who  would  lure  you 
into  houses  of  death.  You  have  heard  of 
those  who  live  by  the  vices  of  others,  and 
who  gloat  on  the  dying  agonies  of  the  inno- 
cent who  fall  into  their  traps.  Yet  you  can- 
not be  too  watchful,  for  nothing  can  exceed 
the  ingenuity  with  which  they  devise  new 
methods  to  catch  the  thoughtless. 

Where  so  many  have  lost  their  way  and 
their  life,  your  only  safety  is  to  keep  near 
your  Guide,  setting  your  feet  in  His  very 
footsteps. 

In  the  quiet,  steady  habits  of  your  coun- 
try life,  you  have  laid  up  a store  of  health 
and  vigor ; now  you  will  be  tempted  to  squan- 
der it  in  late  hours,  and  the  many  excite- 
ments that  lie  in  wait  for  you. 

You  will  also  be  in  danger  of  mental  star- 
vation. People  who  write  and  print  cheap, 
wishy-washy  literature,  are  specially  active  in 
crowding  it  upon  the  attention.  It  seems, 
sometimes,  that  the  facility  with  which  it  is 


184  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FI\T3. 

“ pushed  ” is  in  exact  ratio  with  its  light- 
ness. 

The  daily  papers  carry  to  perfection  the  art 
of  selling  “ sensations.”  From  the  competition 
that  is  rife  among  them,  they  get  the  trick  of 
saying  things  in  a style  as  sharp  as  the  crack 
of  a minie-rifle,  chiming  exactly  with  the 
stir  and  dash  of  young  blood.  You  can  see 
how  it  will  help  you  get  rid  of  your  country 
moderateness ; but  you  must  set  a “ thus  far  ” 
to  this  spirited  daily  editor,  or  he  will  spoil 
your  appetite  for  solid  food.  He  will  also 
teach  you  to  forget,  for  he  is  a great  gossip 
who  tells  to-day  what  he  may  have  to  contra- 
dict to-morrow;  and  he  expects  you  to  un- 
load your  memory  each  twenty-four  hours,  so 
as  to  be  ready  for  a new  budget. 

The  English  talk  about  “ walking  up  an 
appetite.”  Your  best  chance  to  keep  your 
mental  appetite  good,  is  to  take  a “ consti- 
tutional ” in  the  shape  of  at  least  a few  min- 
utes good  hard  study  of  a language  or  a sci- 
ence daily.  That,  with  your  Bible  study, 
will  keep  you  from  learning  to  forget. 


m THE  CITY. 


185 


^ You  can  tell  when  you  begin  to  decline  in 
physical  strength;  but  mind  shows  its  pallor 
and  attenuation  only  to  close  observers. 
Others  will  feel  your  mental  emaciation  long 
before  you  are  conscious  of  it  yourself. 
Your  only  safety  is  to  establish  your  prin- 
ciples of  mental  hygiene,  and  live  by  them 
loyally. 

Your  greatest  danger  will  come  from  the 
breaking  up  of  your  home  religious  habits. 
In  your  old  home  church,  if  you  were 
tempted  to  neglect  the  regular  services,  you 
knew  you  would  be  missed,  and  your  absence 
would  be  inquired  into  and  commented  upon. 
In  the  city,  as  soon  as  you  turn  the  first  cor- 
ner, on  a Sunday  morning,  you  are  as  'cer- 
tainly lost  to  observation,  as  if  you  were  in 
the  wilderness.  Nobody  knows  how  you 
spend  your  Sabbath.  The  braces  are  gone. 
You  are  left  to  your  own  responsibility. 
When  you  are  thus  cut  loose  from  your  moor- 
ings, you  are  apt  to  drift  with  wind  and  tide 
till  you  lose  your  reckoning. 


186  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

“ Oil,  wliat’s  tlie  use  of  being  so  narrow 
and  bigoted ! One  cburcb  is  just  as  good  as 
another.  It  broadens  a man’s  horizon  to 
hear  all  sides  of  a question.  You’ve  always 
been  tied  up  to  one  church ; now  look  around 
awhile ; they  are  all  alike  to  you  here.”  If 
you  take  that  advice,  they  will  soon  be  all 
alike  to  you,  sure  enough ; for  you  will  care 
for  none  of  them.  Another  set  of  influences 
more  pungent  and  sensational  will  take  you 
captive. 

They  say  that  in  India  a diseased  liver  is  in- 
dicated by  an  increased  appetite  for  sharp 
condiments  in  the  curry.  The  poorer  the  di- 
gestion the  more  pepper  and  mustard.  There 
is  something  like  this  in  morals.  When  we 
are  near  God  we  relish  plain,  simple,  substan- 
stantial  food ; but  when  we  get  spiritual  dys- 
pepsia and  torpidity,  we  must  have  a highly 
flavored,  sensational  style  of  preaching  and 
teaching.  Thousands  have  fallen  into  this 
snare,  and  you  are  no  stronger  than  they. 

I never  Imew  a young  man  come  to  the 


nr  THE  CITY. 


187 


city,  and  drift  about  liitber  and  thither,  in- 
stead of  selecting  a steady  place  of  worship, 
who  did  not  fall  into  a habit  of  spending  his 
Sabbath  afternoons  calling  upon  young  ladies, 
and  talking  all  manner  of  nonsense.  The 
hier  garten  and  Sunday  theatre  are  a not  un- 
usual ending  of  such  a course  of  careless 
living. 

The  position  you  take  in  regard  to  the 
church  will  do  much  toward  determining 
your  social  standing. 

While  society  in  the  city  seems  free  and 
unfenced,  it  is,  after  all,  a conglomerate  of 
little  communities,  each  of  which  is  clearly 
defined  in  its  limitations.  Ordinarily,  when 
one  is  admitted  to  a guild  he  is  entitled  to  all 
its  rights  and  privileges.  When  he  takes  a 
decided  stand  for  religion  by  connecting  him- 
self with  a church,  the  other  members  recog- 
nize their  obligation  to  look  after  him  so- 
cially. The  exclusive  few  may  be  remiss  in 
their  duties,  but  the  more  earnest  and  effi- 
cient look  after  strangers  in  the  congrega- 


188  TKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

tion,  especially  young  men,  wlio  are  more 
easily  entrapped  by  Satan,  and  are  conse- 
quently rarer  in  cliurcli  circles. 

If  you  go  to  the  church  sociable,  you  will 
find  some  sweet-faced  “ old  maid,”  or  genial 
matron,  coming  to  introduce  herself  with  an 
air  of  cordial  interest,  and  taking  special 
pains  to  make  you  feel  acquainted  and  at 
home.  You  must  appreciate  her  kindness, 
and  make  the  most  of  it ; for  she  has  left  her 
pretty  home,  her  books  and  magazines,  that 
have  lain  on  the  table  for  weeks,  waiting  for 
the  leisure  hour  that  never  eomes,  besides  a 
choice  coterie  of  delightful  friends,  for  this 
noisy,  clattering  crowd,  that  she  may  make 
just  such  strangers  as  you  are  pass  an  agree- 
able evening,  and  learn  to  look  toward  the 
church  as  their  social  as  well  as  religious 
home.  If  she  asks  you  to  call,  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  accept  the  invitation.  She  is  sincere ; 
for  she  knows  your  danger  a thousand  times 
better  than  you  do  yourself;  and  for  her 
Master’s  sake  she  wants  to  help  you  to  a safe 


m THE  CITY.  189 

standing  place  in  tlie  whirl  in  which  you  find 
yourself. 

Select  your  church.  Present  your  letter. 
Go  to  your  class  and  prayer  meetings,  even  if 
they  do  not  seem  exactly  like  those  of  the 
dear  old  home  church.  You  will  get  used  to 
the  new  ways  in  a little  while,  and  feel  quite 
at  home  in  them;  for  you  will  find  the  Lord’s 
cliildren  are  the  same  at  heart  the  world 
over. 

Do  not  shy  any  one ; but  make  up  your 
mind  to  accept  and  return  courtesies,  and  to 
do  your  part  toward  making  others,  who 
come  in  later  than  you,  feel  happy  in  their 
new  associations.  You  will  find  yourself 
helped  more  by  the  little  effort  you  put  forth 
for  others,  than  in  any  other  means  of  grace. 
And  you  will  also  find,  if  you  take  the  right 
course,  that  these  new  surroundings  help  you 
far  more  than  the  old  ones  did.  But,  above 
all,  you  must  be  careful  of  your  private  re- 
ligious habits.  You  must  spend  some  time, 
daily,  in  the  study  of  the  Bible,  and  have  at 


190  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

least  three  seasons  of  private  prayer  each 
day. 

Spurgeon  said  that  when  he  went  away  to 
school,  and  the  older  boys  tormented  him,  he 
found  in  Christ  a friend  who  was  never  too 
busy  to  listen  to  him ; one  who  never  made 
fun  of  him,  and  never  told. 

As  careful  hygienic  habits  as  are  necessary 
to  keep  the  body  in  health,  will  keep  the 
mind  and  soul  safe  and  sound.  The  greater 
the  temptation,  resisted  in  God’s  strength, 
the  more  rapid  the  growth. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


trUDEB  DISCrPLnSTB. 

Ip  you  were  enrolled  as  a student  in  a 
literary  institution,  and  no  difficult  lessons 
were  given  you,  no  exercises  prescribed,  tliat 
were  meant  to  correct  bad  mental  habits,  you 
would  say,  “ I do  n’t  see  what  good  all  this 
is  going  to  do  me.  I came  here  to  learn. 
These  people  try  hard  enough  to  make  me 
have  a pleasant  time,  but  they  are  not  teach- 
ing me  anything.” 

If  lessons  were  given  you,  so  difficult  that 
jmur  brain  reeled  under  the  tug,  you  would 
say,  “ I need  them  : and  the  harder  they  are, 
the  sooner  I will  be  through,  and  ready  for 
the  actual  work  of  life.” 

In  Christ’s  school  we  have  everything  to 
learn,  and  yet  we  wonder,  sometimes,  at  the 

191 


192  FE05I  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

severity  of  the  lessons.  We  dread  the  disci- 
pline, though  we  know  that  our  seasons  of 
prosperity  are  our  times  of  greatest  danger. 
In  the  old  story,  the  wind  and  storm  strove 
in  vain  to  steal  the  traveller’s  cloak.  The 
more  they  raved,  the  more  closely  he  drew  it 
about  him ; but  the  sunshine  made  him  loosen 
its  fastenings,  and  let  it  slip  from  liis  shoul- 
ders. 

When  all  is  bright,  we  become  so  occupied 
with  the  Lord’s  gifts  that  we  forget  the  Giv- 
er. We  sin  against  Him  in  our  ingratitude, 
and  are  betrayed  into  that  most  hidden  and 
baneful  sin,  self-trust. 

The  Lord  told  Saul,  when  he  was  little  in 
his  own  sight  he  was  made  ruler  over  the 
tribes  of  Israel.  We  feel  our  weakness,  and 
lean  on  God  for  help.  He  does  the  work, 
and  lets  us  stand  by  and  see  the  result.  W e 
rejoice  in  the  success.  Friends  flatter  us,  and 
we  forget  that  God  did  it  all,  — we,  nothing. 
We  begin  to  trust  our  own  strength,  and  just 
in  proportion  as  we  do  that,  we  cripple  our- 


inSlX)ER  DISCIPLINE. 


193 


selves,  and  lose  our  chance  to  be  workers 
together  with  God. 

We  attribute  our  unsuccess  to  this  and 
that,  blaming  circumstances,  opportunities, 
our  friends  and  co-workers,  anybody,  any- 
thing, except  our  own  perverse  self-trust. 
Our  fault  is  like  an  obscure  disease  that  the 
physician  tracks  with  difficulty.  It  hides  it- 
self under  a drawl  or  whine  of  self-depreci- 
ation, and  tries  to  pass  itself  off  for  hu- 
mility. “Oh,  “I’m  so  unworthy, — such  a 
weak  and  feeble  instrument  for  the  Lord  to 
use  !”  though  we  know  very  well  that  worthi- 
ness and  strength,  per  se,  are  not  in  us ; nei- 
ther are  they  requirements  of  the  Lord  for 
His  workers ; for  He  has  said  He  chooses  the 
weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the 
things  that  are  mighty. 

This  counterfeit  humility  covers  self-asser- 
tion as  a wet  cloth  does  the  face  of  a dead 
man,  and  it  is  a most  unsightly  thing. 

We  need  to  see  the  infirmity,  that  we  may 
■ ask  God  for  its  cure. 


194  FEOM  FrFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

You  have  not  succeeded  in  the  Lord’s 
work  of  late  as  you  used  to  do.  Competent 
judges  have  pronounced  you  strong  for  your 
years.  Your  powers  have  been  acknowledged, 
your  services  sought  after.  Lately  nobody 
seems  to  care  for  your  help,  because  you  fail  to 
bring  to  pass  the  things  that  ought  to  be 
done.  You  prepare  yourself  more  carefully 
than  ever.  You  try  to  reinforce  your  courage 
by  thiiddng  over  the  commendatory  things 
that  have  been  said  of  your  efforts.  All 
this  time  you  are  doing  the  very  opposite  of 
the  thing  that  is  the  secret  of  success.  Paul 
says,  “ When  I am  weak,  then  I am  strong.” 
When  one  feels  his  weakness,  then  he  leans 
on  God,  and  the  work  is  done.  You  do  not 
care  to  be  regarded  weak.  Indeed,  if  any- 
one hints  at  your  inadequacy  for  the  work 
in  hand,  you  are  offended.  Of  course  you 
know  you  are  very  weak  and  unworthy,  but 
you  have  been  trusted  to  do  some  things,  and 
they  generally  came  out  about  right.  You 
have  the  word  of  God  in  your  mind  and  on 


UNDER  DISCIPLINB. 


195 


jDur  tongue,  but  like  one  who  has  let  slip 
the  syllable  by  wbicb  the  combination  lock 
of  his  safe  was  fastened,  you  have  lost  the 
key  by  which  to  open  the  promises,  and  make 
available  their  resources. 

If  you  would  ask  God,  and  believe  for  the 
answer,  He  would  whisper  again  into  your 
soul  the  word  of  power ! He  lets  the  tempter 
loose  on  you  a little,  to  drive  you  to  feel 
your  need  of  grace.  I think  the  Lord  uses 
Satan  as  a shepherd  does  his  dog,  to  start  up 
the  sheep  that  are  straying  out  of  the  way. 

You  hear  him  growl  and  bark,  and  yon 
are  terrified.  Like  a silly  sheep,  you  run 
this  way  and  that,  as  if  you  had  quite  lost 
your  head. 

You  redouble  your  zeal.  You  dash  into 
this  and  that  Christian  work.  You  try  to 
make  up  in  energy  what  you  seem  to  lack  in 
skill ; yet  your  efforts  are  unavailing. 

You  increase  your  knowledge  of  holy 
tactics ; but  results  are  nothing  at  all  what 
they  were  when  you  knew  much  less  than 


196  'FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

you  do  now.  Trials  come.  Friends  fail. 
Your  way  seems  hedged  on  every  hand. 
You  cry  to  God  for  deliverance,  yet  the 
burdens  seem  to  grow  heavier.  You  say 
with  the  Psalmist,  “ Lover  and  friend  hast 
thou  put  far  from  me.  All  thy  waves  and 
thy  billows  are  gone  over  me.”  You  begin 
to  question  God’s  love  and  power, — to 
doubt  His  care  for  His  own  work.  You 
have  given  yourself  wholly  to  Him.  You 
have  sacrificed  everything  that  you  knew 
to  give  for  His  cause.  You  cannot  under- 
stand His  apparent  indifference.  You  cer- 
tainly pray  enough.  Whole  nights  are  spent 
in  restless,  importunate  prayer.  Please  permit 
me  a few  suggestions.  The  Lord  make  them 
helpful  to  you  in  these  days  of  discipline. 

Cast  not  away  your  confidence.  God’s 
interest  in  His  own  children  is  above 
challenge.  You  dare  not  think  the  opposite 
of  that.  Hold  steadily  your  faith  in  Him, 
though  the  heavens  fall.  Use  your  common 
sense.  Settle  it  that  your  trials  are  disciplin- 


in>rDER  DISCIPLINE. 


197 


ary.  They  are  meant  to  correct  your  faults. 
Now  search  for  the  unsoundness.  It  lies  far 
beneath  the  surface,  else  you  would  have  had 
it  set  right  long  ago.  It  takes  deep,  severe 
probing  to  find  it;  but  God  has  taken  you 
in  hand  in  answer  to  that  prayer  of  yours, 
“ Cleanse  Thou  me  from  secret  faults : ” 
and  He  is  not  going  to  let  you  go  with 
a half  healing.  When  we  desire  it.  He 
makes  thorough  work.  Ask  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  search  you,  and  see  if  there  be  any  wicked 
way  in  you.  Bring  your  motives  to  the 
straight-edge  of  the  Word  of  God.  Sur- 
render unconditionally  every  controverted 
point.  Choose  the  Divine  Will  unflinching- 
ly, because  you  know  it  is  right,  always  and 
only  right.  You  seem  to  be  losing  what 
property  you  have,  and  your  chance  to  make 
more.  If  God  sees  you  can  do  more  for  Him 
without  a dollar,  choose  to  have  Him  take  it 
all.  Oh,  but  he  lets  others,  who  are  better 
than  you  hope  to  be,  keep  their  property. 
“ What  is  that  to  thee  ? ” Christ  says, 


198  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

“ follow  thou  Me.”  He  had  not  where  to 
lay  His  head ; and  He  may  mean  to  promote 
you  by  placing  you  on  His  staff,  in  this  war  ; 
— giving  yo;i  the  fare  He  chose  for  Himself. 
The  disciple  is  not  above  his  Lord. 

“ But  I had  so  many  plans  for  His  work.” 
Pie  makes  His  own  plans.  The  Captain  of 
our  Salvation  orders  the  campaign.  Who  are 
you  to  dare  touch  His  part  of  the  work? 
“ But  it  hurts  to  give  all  this  up.”  Then  you 
have  found  one  unsound  spot.  Let  the  blood 
of  healing  so  cure  you  that  there  will  be  no 
pain  in  choosing  the  Lord’s  will  in  every- 
thing. 

You  have  often  sung : — 

“ Perish  every  fond  ambition, 

All  I’ve  sought,  or  hoped,  or  known.” 

The  Lord  has  taken  you  at  your  word,  and  is 
answering  the  prayer.  You  have  asked  Him 
to  help  you 

“ Learn  to  scorn  the  praise  of  men. 

And  learn  to  lose  with  God. 

For  Jesus  won  the  world  through  shame. 

And  beckons  us  that  road.” 


iraDEE  DISCrPLENE. 


199 


That  is  fine  devotional  sentiment;  it  seems 
quite  another  thing  when  it  comes  into  every 
day  life.  These  losses  and  crosses,  property 
taking  whigs,  and  friends  turning  the  cold 
shoulder,  are  meant  to  teach  you  the  mock- 
ing poverty  of  worldly  gain  and  honors. 

You  think  you  have  learned  the  lesson, 
and  yet  the  rod  is  not  removed.  As  long  as 
the  discipline  continues  you  may  be  sure  its 
purpose  is  not  yet  accomplished.  God  is 
infinitely  more  anxious  to  have  you  relieved 
from  chastisement  than  you  are  to  be  free 
from  the  pain.  Scrutinize  yet  more  carefully 
your  motives.  Choose  the  will  of  God,  even 
at  your  own  cost,  yet  more  resolutely.  And, 
after  all,  you  most  overcome  inner  as  well 
as  outer  enemies  by  faith.  Ask  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  teach  you  what  you  need  to  know, 
what  the  chastening  is  meant  to  drive  you  to 
learn.  Trust  Him  to  answer  the  prayer. 
Believe  that  He  works  in  you  to  will  and  to 
do  of  His  own  good  pleasure.  Thank  Him  for 
the  discipline,  and  for  the  lesson.  Trust 


200  FEOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIO:. 

Him  to  deliver  you  from  the  trial  when  Ho 
sees  it  best,  and  go  on  like  a happy  child, 
rejoicing  evermore,  praying  without  ceasing, 
and  in  every  thing  giving  thanks. 

We  are  in  a hostile  land,  on  an  enemy’s 
shore.  The  world  is  in  revolt  against  our 
King,  and  it  is  the  one  thing  to  be  done  by 
those  who  are  loyal,  to  bring  all  the  rest 
back  to  their  allegiance.  War  is  not  a holi- 
day business,  nor  a gala  day  amusement. 
We  must  learn  to  endure  hardness  as  good 
soldiers  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We  must 
stand,  and,  having  done  all,  stand. 

Clan  Grant  in  Scotland  furnished  for  the 
Napoleonic  and  Crimean  wars,  soldiers  who 
seemed  invincible.  Wellington  said  of  his 
Highlanders,  “ They  can  run  beside  a trooper 
all  day,  live  on  a handful  of  meal,  sleep  in 
the  snow,  and  fight  always  for  victory.”  The 
device  on  the  banner  of  Clan  Grant  was 
a crag  rising  out  of  a moor ; and  over  it  was 
the  legend,  “ Stand  fast.  Crag  Allache  I ” And 
that  was  the  battle-cry  of  the  clan,  “ Stand 


tOSTDER  DISCIPLmE. 


201 


fast,  Crag  Allache  ! ” Euskm  says  of  it, 
“ Though  mortised  iuto  the  backbone  of  the 
earth,  Crag  Allache  might  give  way,  but  Clan 
Grant,  never ! ” The  cry  comes  ringing  down 
the  lines  of  Christ’s  war-worn  veterans, 
“ Stand  fast  in  the  Lord  I 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

AT  YOUE  BEST. 

We  dare  not  question  the  fact  that  God 
would  have  us  at  our  best,  every  hour  of 
every  day  of  every  year.  There  never  will 
come  a time  when  we  can  relax  our  hygienic 
habits,  and  let  our  bodies  grow  weak  and 
heljjless  for  lack  of  care,  our  minds  nerveless 
and  inactive,  and  our  souls  feeble  and  sickly, 
without  knowing  that  we  are  living,  not  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  God,  but  against  its 
declared  dicta.  The  word  must  always  be, 
“No  step  backward,  but  always  onward,^ 
steadily,  right  on  ! ” 

Growth  is  one  of  the  basal  laws,  that  repre- 
sent to  us  the  Divine  will.  When  we  cease 
to  grow  we  begin  to  die. 

Spiritual  growth  underlies  the  prosperity 
202 


AT  YOUR  BEST. 


203 


of  mind  and  body.  We  seldom  feel  the 
“ ought  ” holding  us  to  the  care  of  our  physi- 
cal life  till  we  understand  that  this  is  a relig- 
ious duty.  Our  best  intellectual  quickenings 
and  uplifts  come  to  us  through  the  direct  illu- 
mination of  the  Holy  Spirit,  stirring  us  to 
know  and  do  that  we  may  the  better  glorify 
God. 

Hence,  if  we  would  be  at  our  best  in  body 
and  mind,  we  must  keep  near  the  Lord,  grow- 
ing ahvays  in  His  grace  and  knowledge. 

One  indication  of  spiritual  growth  is  the  mas- 
tery of  our  prejudice,  that  seems  an  infirmity 
that  hardly  has  moral  quality,  because  quite 
out  of  our  reach ; — like  the  color  of  our  eyes, 
determined  by  the  constitution  of  things,  and 
altogether  changeless.  Not  so.  If  we  have 
a prejudice  against  one,  we  prejudge  him. 
From  some  unfortunate  act  of  his  that  has 
come  to  our  knowledge,  some  misinterpreta- 
tion that  has  been  given  by  a careless  ac- 
quaintance, we  pass  judgment  upon  him ; 
and,  though  we  may  be  too  well  trained  to 


204  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

speak  ill  of  liim,  in  our  private  tliinking  he  is 
always  a person  not  to  be  loved,  or  trusted, 
or  honored.  Now  this  is  a violation  of  a di- 
rect command,  “Judge  not.”  It  is,  also,  al- 
together out  of  harmony  with  the  charity 
that  thinketh  no  evil.  Much  of  our  disci- 
pline is  meant  to  cure  us  of  this,  and  similar 
infirmities.  The  only  remedy  is  in  a direct 
Divine  healing  touch,  and  that  may  be  had 
in  answer  to  believing  prayer. 

If  we  keep  at  our  best  it  must  be  indicated 
by  constant  improvement  in  spiritual  things ; 
and  in  nothing  is  this  more  manifest  than  in 
the  increase  of  our  faith.  We  must  learn 
directness  in  prayer.  I have  known  Protes- 
tants who  went  over  their  daily  “ subjects  of 
prayer,”  as  formally  as  any  Romanist  could 
do.  When  they  became  earnest  in  some  re- 
quest they  were  moved  to  present,  they  seem- 
ed to  rack  their  rhetoric  to  find  forms  in 
which  to  present  the  petition,  and  yet  avoid 
using  exactly  the  same  words  every  time. 

As  you  grow  in  faith  you  come  to  understand 


AT  TOUR  BEST. 


205 


tliat  God  is  a Person,  to  be  addressed  accord- 
ingly. You  will  learn  to  state  your  requests 
in  plain,  simple,  direct  speech ; believing  that 
He  prompted  the  prayer,  that  it  is  according 
to  His  will,  that  He  hears,  and  that  conse- 
quently you  have  the  petitions.  Tennyson 
says,  “More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
than  this  world  dreams  of.”  More  things 
might  be  wrought  by  prayer  than  we  have 
ever  dreamed  of.  What  about  the  removing 
of  mountains,  the  subduing  of  kingdoms,  the 
putting  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens?  If 
we  are  at  our  best,  we  will  be  growing 
toward  the  ability  to  do  valiantly  in  God’s 
strength.  There  is  an  active,  as  well  as  pas- 
sive, attitude,  for  the  believer.  It  takes  se- 
vere discipline  to  teach  him  to  lie  quietly  in 
the  hands  of  the  Lord  ; and  when  He  is  once 
completely  subdued,  it  seems  to  take  as  sharp 
a goading  to  make  him  use  his  strength  on 
the  enemy.  He  must  learn  to  be  like  the 
shng,  and  also  like  the  slinger’s  arm.  The 
waves  had  to  wash  over  the  pebble,  back  and 


206  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

fortli,  back  and  forth,  year  in  and  year  out, 
to  bring  it  to  sufficient  smoothness,  so  that  it 
would  go  straight  to  the  mark.  At  last  one 
whirl  of  the  sling,  and  one  jerk  of  the  sliug- 
er’s  arm,  sent  it  crashing  through  the  skull  of 
the  giant. 

You  little  know  your  own  possibilities. 
Steam,  when  left  to  itself,  floated  out  upon 
the  air  in  clouds,  pretty,  and  useless;  but 
when  caught,  and  held,  and  turned  upon  ma- 
chinery, it  was  found  to  be  equal  tp  the  work 
of  the  world.  When  Watt  watched  the  lift- 
ing of  the  tea-kettle  lid,  little  did  he  dream 
that  he  was  on  the  track  of  a principle  that 
would,  one  day,  draw  millions  of  tons  over 
seas,  across  continents,  through  mountains, 
never  tiring,  never  resting,  leaving  human 
brain  and  muscle  with  leisure  for  higher 
achievements. 

We  are  sent  to  school  to  learn  the  use  of 
speech, — in  the  Lord’s  school  we  learn  the 
power  of  silence.  They  only  are  strong 
who  can  rule  their  own  spirit,  holding  their 


AT  TOUR  BEST. 


207 


strength  till  the  Lord  gives  the  word  to 
speak. 

When  the  soul  is  full  of  indignation 
against  wrong,  burning  words  will  slip  their 
leash  and  dart  forth,  in  spite  of  judgment 
and  will,  unless  one  has  himself  well  in  hand. 
I remember  a scene  on  a convention  floor 
where  a strong  advocate  of  a*good  cause  was 
thrown  off  his  guard  by  the  tantahzing 
questions  of  one  who  was  evidently  deter- 
mined to  drive  him  from  his  position  by  fair 
means  or  foul.  He  fenced  well  for  a little 
while,  till  his  sensibilities  were  stung  by  a 
specially  provoking  question.  Then  he  for- 
got liimself,  and  gave  the  rein  to  his  sarcasm. 
He  gave  his  opponent  a sharp,  well-deserved 
rebuke,  but  he  lost  his  cause.  If  he  had 
held  steady  under  that  last  galling  fire,  he 
would  probably  have  won. 

Do  you  know  how  WiUiam  of  Orange 
came  to  be  called  “the  Silent?”  A gay 
young  nobleman,  he  was  riding  one  day  with 
a French  prince,  when  the  latter  laid  open  to 


208  FKOM  FEb'TEEN  TO  TWENTT-FrVB. 

him  a scheme  that  the  kings  of  southwestern 
Europe  had  on  the  tapis  for  the  destruction 
of  the  Protestants  in  Holland.  The  iron 
entered  William’s  soul ; but  he  did  not  betray 
himself  by  so  much  as  the  twitch  of  a 
muscle.  From  that  hour,  however,  his  will 
was  set  as  a flint  to  save  his  country.  He 
stood  like  a Gibraltar  against  the  storm  of 
persecution  that  burst  upon  the  Netherlands. 
He  is  recognized  not  only  as  a fearless,  self- 
sacrificing  patriot,  but  a statesman  of  the 
first  rank.  We  associate  his  greatness  with 
his  power  over  himself,  keeping  silence  when 
another  would  have  spoken,  and,  by  speak- 
ing, ruined  the  cause  for  which  he  stood. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  gave  us  an  example 
of  self-control.  The  impulsive  and  erratic 
Peter  resented  the  indignities  heaped  upon 
the  Master,  and  striking  about  with  his 
sword,  he  eut  off  a man’s  ear.  Christ,  though 
staggering  under  the  load  of  that  awful, 
redemptive  agony,  stopped,  and  by  miracle 
repaired  the  damage  that  His  servant  had 


AT  YOTJE  BEST. 


209 


done,  reminding  Mm  that  He  could  bring 
twelve  legions  of  His  own  strong  angels  upon 
the  field  by  a wave  of  the  hand. 

In  bringing  us  to  our  best,  God  gives  us 
easier  or  heavier  lessons  according  to  the 
stuff  of  wMch  we  are  made,  and  the  work  He 
has  for  us  to  do.  The  lapidary  gives  weeks 
to  the  polisMng  of  a diamond,  while  a 
cheaper  stone  can  be  finished  in  far  less  time. 

Before  He  puts  into  our  hands  the  best 
work  of  wMch  we  are  capable.  He  tests  our 
strength  to  the  utmost,  and  also  our  reliabili- 
ty. In  the  testing-room  of  a watch  factory, 
I saw  watches  that  were  being  proved  before 
they  were  allowed  to  “ time  ” railway  trains, 
where  the  loss  of  a minute  might  destroy  a 
hundred  lives.  They  had  to  stand  on  their 
heads  and  lie  on  their  faces,  to  be  shut  up  in 
ice-chests,  and  then  in  hot  ovens.  Their 
value  depended  upon  their  unvarying  relia- 
bility. When  we  ask  God  to  use  us  fcr  large 
work,  the  first  question  is,  “ Can  you  drink  of 
the  cup,  and  be  baptized  with  the  baptism?  ” 


210  FROM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

If  we  answer,  “We  are  able,”  we  may  expect 
sucb  testings  as  will  give  ample  exercise  for 
our  faith,  till  we  have  shown  that  we  are 
dead,  and  our  lives  hid  with  Christ  in  God. 

Peter  had  an  energetic,  fiery  soul,  capable 
of  taking  in  so  much  of  God,  that  under  his 
first  sermon  after  the  Pentecostal  baptism, 
three  thousand  were  converted.  With  his 
natural  leadership,  he  must  have  come  to 
think  himself  somewhat  essential  to  the  im- 
perilled infant  church.  The  Lord  had  to 
teach  him  that  the  excellency  of  the  power  is 
not  of  men,  but  of  God,  and  no  fiesh  can  glo- 
ry in  His  presence.  So  the  first  thing  Bishop 
Peter  knew,  he  was  in  prison,  with  a strong 
probability  of  losing  his  head.  No  doubt  he 
had  something  of  a struggle  to  get  the  care 
of  the  church  back  where  it  belonged,  in  the 
hands  of  the  Lord.  He  reached  the  point  of 
perfect  submission  and  rest  in  God,  for  he  lay 
asleep  between  two  soldiers,  when  the  angel 
touched  him,  and  led  him  out  of  the  prison, 
the  great  iron  gate  swinging  open  before  liim 
of  its  own  accord. 


AT  YOTJE  BEST. 


211 


Only  through  the  infinite  grace  of  God 
can  one  learn  to  be  so  submissiye  that  for 
Christ’s  sake  he  will  become  the  servant  of 
all,  never  asserting  himself,  or  “ standing  up 
for  his  rights  ” ; and  at  the  same  time  using 
every  power  to  its  utmost  in  aggressive 
war  for  the  conquest  of  the  world  for  his 
Master.  The  two  roles  seem  utterly  incom- 
patible ; and  so  they  are  except  by  the  power 
of  the  Lord  Jesus.  The  only  way  that  one 
can  master  this  paradox,  is  to  be  dead  to  self 
and  sin,  and  alive  unto  God.  He  will  find 
the  more  completely  “ dead  ” he  is,  the  more 
fully  “ alive  ” he  will  be.  He  will  seek  noth- 
ing for  himself,  but  every  dollar,  every  hour, 
every  ounce  of  strength,  will  be  made  to  do 
its  utmost  for  the  Lord. 

A successful  preacher  was  asked  how  he 
prepared  and  preached  Ins  sermons.  He  said, 
“ I prepare  as  carefully  as  if  I had  it  all  to 
do ; then  I trust  God  as  completely  as  if  I 
had  made  no  preparation  at  all.”  That  may 
illustrate  your  consecration  to  the  Lord. 


212  FROM  FITTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

You  use  your  powers  as  carefully  and  skill- 
fully as  if  all  depended  upon  your  efforts ; and 
at  the  same  time,  you  trust  Him  as  if  you 
never  expected  to  do  another  stroke  of  work, 
and  had  actually  done  nothing. 

This  seems  like  giving  you  who  are  just 
fairly  beginning  the  earnest  work  and  study 
of  life,  advanced  lessons,  such  as  are  under- 
stood only  by  those  in  whose  hair  the  pelting 
snowballs  have  caught.  Yet  I believe  in 
holding  before  each  a high  ideal,  from  the 
first.  (^Read  only  the  best  authors,  if  you 
would  learn  to  express  yourself  properly. 
Listen  often  to  classical  music,  if  you  would 
form  a correct  musical  taste.  Study  the  best 
pictures,  if  you  would  learn  to  discriminate 
in  works  of  art.  , • 

So  in  spiritual  things:  instead  of  looking 
into  the  life  of  a frail,  selfish,  average  profes- 
sor of  piety,  and  thinking  that  is  as  well  as 
you  need  ever  hope  to  do,  associate  in  thought 
with  the  best  and  highest.  Better  still,  keep 
before  your  mind  the  Model  Young  Man  of 


AT  YOUE  BEST. 


213 


Galilee.  As  He  was  in  tlie  world,  so  are  you. 
Your  Elder  Brother,  — study  Him,  imitate 
Him,  and  let  Him  dwell  in  your  heart  by 
faith.  You  can  do  all  things  through  His 
strength.  You  can  be  more  than  conqueror 
through  Him  that  hath  loved  you  and  given 
Himself  for  you.  His  gift  of  love  to  you  is, 
not  only  eternal  life  beyond  the  grave,  but 
the  privilege  of  representing  Him  even  in  this 
life  where  people  are  so  crooked  and  perverse. 

I remember  a legend  of  a prince  who  had 
promised  to  send  the  princess  whom  he  was 
to  marry,  a valuable  betrothal  present.  When 
it  came,  and  was  taken  from  the  box,  behold 
it  was  only  an  iron  egg.  She  was  displeased 
and  threw  it  down.  When  it  struck  the 
marble  floor,  it  burst  open,  showing  a silver 
case.  She  took  it  up  and  began  to  examine 
it,  and  presently  she  touched  a spring  that 
opened  the  case,  and  disclosed  a golden  yolk. 
After  a little  that  was  opened  by  another 
spring,  and  within  it  was  a crown  of  rubies, 
and  within  that  a diamond  ring  — the  be- 


214  FKOM  FIFTEEN  TO  TWENTY-FIVE. 

trotlial  ring.  Christ’s  token  of  love  to  us 
is  in  the  form  of  severe  discipline,  testing  our 
trust  in  Him,  or  plain,  simple,  hard  work, 
which  we  may  do  from  love  to  Him.  If  we 
receive  the  gift,  and  make  the  most  of  it  for 
His  sake,  we  shall  find  within  it  the  crown  of 
our  royalty, — kings  and  priests  unto  God, — 
and  the  ring  that  makes  us  His  own  forever. 

May  the  Lord  give  each  one  of  my  class  of 
twenty  thousand  an  inhpitance  incorruptible, 
undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away. 


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